Plans for a major new aparthotel close to Carabassí beach have taken another step forward, with the developer now seeking an environmental licence for the €16 million project.
The development would transform a large plot at Arenales del Sol into a
tourist complex with around 200 one and two-bedroom apartments, six swimming pools, restaurants, leisure areas and a large spa.
Developer Miraclot SL has submitted its environmental licence application to Elche Town Hall’s Activities Department, following the presentation of a detailed development study in 2025.
The application is currently undergoing public consultation.
No construction timetable has yet been announced, but the latest application confirms that the project remains active and continues to work its way through the planning process.
Around 200 apartments and six swimming pools
The proposed aparthotel would occupy a 15,799m² plot in the AR-1 sector of Arenales del Sol.
Plans envisage 16,116m² of constructed space above and below ground.
The complex would include around 200 one and two-bedroom apartments, alongside six swimming pools, outdoor parking, landscaped areas, restaurants, leisure facilities and a large spa.
One-bedroom accommodation would follow a junior suite-style layout, with a large sleeping area, sofa space, small kitchen, bathroom and terrace.
Two-bedroom apartments would have separate bedrooms, a combined living, dining and kitchen area, two bathrooms and a terrace.
The plans also allow for commercial or leisure space on the lower level, although the environmental licence application does not currently specify what would occupy it.
Development limited to three levels
The land has a relatively low permitted building density under Elche’s General Plan.
Its planning classification allows a ground floor plus two additional storeys, meaning the new complex would not become another high-rise development on the coast.
Buildings can occupy a maximum of 60% of the site.
The project would nevertheless represent a significant new addition to tourist accommodation around Arenales del Sol and Elche’s coastal area.
From car park to caravan site to aparthotel
The plot has already had several potential futures.
Miraclot initially obtained municipal permission in 2021 to create a paid car park with 278 spaces.
Plans later shifted towards a caravan and camping development, which ultimately failed to go ahead. Some of the foundations currently visible on the site date from that abandoned proposal.
The company has now turned its attention to the aparthotel.
If the environmental licence clears the current process, the development would still require the corresponding construction licence before building work could proceed.
Location close to protected Clot de Galvany
The project’s proximity to the protected Clot de Galvany natural area has previously prompted objections from environmental groups.
Critics have raised concerns about additional development pressure close to the protected landscape.
Elche mayor Pablo Ruz has previously said the site does not fall under restrictions imposed by PATIVEL, the Valencian coastal planning framework, because the land has been classified as consolidated urban land with tertiary use under Elche’s 1998 General Plan.
However, he has also acknowledged the importance of protecting the nearby Clot de Galvany.
The environmental licence application now provides another stage at which the proposed development and its potential effects can be considered.
More tourist accommodation for Elche
The project forms part of a wider increase in hotel development around Elche and its surrounding districts.
The Hampton by Hilton has recently opened in L’Altet, while another hotel is planned in Elche Parque Empresarial in Torrellano.
Arenales del Sol itself is also gaining more commercial services.
An Eroski supermarket opened this summer, while a large Masymas supermarket covering around 5,000m² is also planned.
The proposed aparthotel would add another major tourism and leisure development to an area where the population rises significantly during the summer months.
For now, however, the prominent plot opposite Carabassí remains quiet. The latest licence application suggests that may not be the case forever.
Bridging the Gap recap
- A €16 million aparthotel is planned near Carabassí beach at Arenales del Sol.
- Developer Miraclot SL has applied for an environmental licence.
- The application is currently undergoing public consultation.
- The development would have around 200 one and two-bedroom apartments.
- Plans include six swimming pools, outdoor parking, landscaped areas, restaurants, leisure facilities and a large spa.
- The site covers 15,799m², with 16,116m² of proposed constructed space.
- Buildings can have a ground floor plus two additional storeys.
- The same site was previously proposed for a 278-space car park and later a caravan development.
- Environmental groups have previously raised concerns because of its proximity to the protected Clot de Galvany.
- No timetable for construction has yet been announced.
