Most of us didn’t notice it as we rushed about the coast but for a very long time the little rivers that flow across different parts of Marbella were in a poor state. These are perennial streams that flow after rainfall and dry up during the summer months, but clogged up with debris, logs, and accumulated mud, rocks, and plant matter they soon became swampy, fetid stretches that attracted mosquitoes and other pests.

It was a particular problem for residents of nearby urbanisations but also formed a rather serious seasonal flood risk as well as something of an ecological disaster with all kinds of non-indigenous plant species invading what could have been a valuable part of Marbella’s natural scenery. For a long time, these were areas to avoid, an eyesore collecting rubbish on the edge of luxury residential developments.

Restoration

What had been pretty much ignored for years, if not decades, drew the attention of the authorities a few years ago, leading to the creation of a comprehensive restoration project that has seen the Benabola and Guadaiza streams thoroughly weeded, cleaned, and relieved of both invasive plants and the debris that had been choking the water channels for years. It’s a project that encompasses more than you might imagine, requiring an initial study and then project planning by specialists before the works that spanned the better part of two years could commence.

The groups involved in the process included not only municipal works teams but also engineers and environmentalists, each with a very specific role to play in the planning and execution of what has become one of the more eye-catching public projects of recent times. Specialists in fauna and flora investigated the streams, their indigenous plant and animal species, and also the intrusive ones before commencing the thorough removal of all clogged up debris material and non-native vegetation.

This detailed process was followed by engineering works involving heavy equipment that removed hundreds of tons of soil, mud, and rocks to produce clear channels through which floodwaters can safely flow out to sea. A major part of these works was the strengthening of the river banks with stones and the kind of earth-based dykes that appear straightforward but actually involve the movement and compacting of huge amounts of sand and soil. Once completed, indigenous species were replanted along the newly restored streams, along whose flanks paved walkways were created that now link parts of Nueva Andalucía and La Campana directly to the coastal pathway, or Sendero Litoral.

From Eyesore To Scenic Route

What was long an unsightly, often foul smelling forgotten area has now become a very pleasant natural corridor that leads along the Benabola stream from Aloha (Nueva Andalucía) into the heart of Puerto Banús, with the Guadaiza stream taking pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, dog walkers, and nature lovers past green fields and alongside residential areas from La Campana to the beachside promenade of San Pedro Alcántara.

The scenic route allows visitors to see Marbella from a new perspective – one that takes you through nature in the form of groves and pastures you didn’t even know existed until you arrive in Puerto Banús or along the beach in San Pedro. The pathways are not only scenic but also well facilitated, complete with lighting, benches, drinking fountains, and also fitness equipment and children’s playgrounds, while doggies will also love the experience. The creation of this great new leisure facility in the midst of Nueva Andalucía is, however, almost an afterthought, as the primary purpose of the project was to provide safe river channels aimed at flood prevention.

The €6 million investment includes a hydraulic safety system and 60,000-litre storm tanks that will greatly reduce the chance of flooding and the accompanying damage and disruption – but in the process it has also created two 1.5 kilometre scenic routes that add to the many hiking trails and coastal pathways that connect us to the beautiful, rejuvenating nature that surrounds us.