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Work to extend Malaga's western promenade, with the Vicen-Playa beach bar in the frame. Salvador Salas Infrastructure Malaga regeneration: work on Poniente promenade provides no relocation solution for famous barConfusion grows over the future of the Vicen-Playa restaurant as construction on the Poniente promenade reaches its final stages
Málaga
Tuesday, 10 March 2026, 15:18 | Updated 16:06h.
Despite a start one year ago, the work to extend Malaga city's Poniente (western) promenade towards the Sacaba Beach development is still under way. The promoters of the La Térmica residential complex are responsible for the work and they believe that they can be finished in October.
There is one important detail, however: for the promenade to be declared ready, as per the design, the promoters and the city council must find a new location for the 20-year-old Vicen-Playa beach bar. According to the establishment's owner, Rafael Jurado, there have been no updates regarding this issue for a year.
Vicen-Playa stands in the way of the work, because it interrupts the pedestrian route that has to continue to the west. Residents in the area are also surprised that the extension continues without the relocation of the bar.
In September 2024, the La Térmica developers paid the city council 238,000 euros for the construction of a new beach bar to house Vicen-Playa. Five months later, the promenade extension began.
However, a year later, the beach bar still remains in the same place, without the construction of the new building having begun. In response to SUR's enquiries, the city council said that "when the time comes, the establishment will be moved".
However, it seems certain that the extension of the promenade will be ready in the autumn, while the same cannot be said about Vicen-Playa's new building.
The owner of the Vicen-Playa has no news about the relocation of his establishment one year after the start of the works on the promenade.
"We had a meeting in February last year, when the work began. Since then, we have not heard anything more," Jurado said. He reopened his bar last week, after a two-month break. In the meantime, the promenade workers have continued progressing in the area.
Jurado has even tried to get some information from the workers, but he has received nothing in return. He fears that the construction work will damage his business. What he knows for sure is that he won't close the restaurant until he has a new building to relocate to.
The city council authorised the extension of the promenade by 350 metres almost 25 years ago. The project involves the planting of 105 trees, the installation of 122 lampposts and the creation of a 22-square-metre playground. In addition, the car parks in the area will be rearranged and the route of the bicycle lane will be integrated into a project with a budget of 2.6 million euros.
However, this new stretch will not connect with the roundabout at the height of Avenida Imperio Argentina, which gives access to the Sacaba Beach development. According to the documents, the promenade will be about 80 metres from the roundabout, without occupying the area near the treatment plant.
The city council says that it will continue looking for a solution to connect the Sacaba roundabout.