It’s a wonderful place both inside and outside.

Located just one block from the beach — on Passeig de Dintre, where the daily fresh fruit and vegetables market takes place — Terrassans caters to tourists and locals alike.

It’s terrace is nearly always full. (Tip: when it’s not — and in particular when you do not see any locals there — do as the locals do: wait till the siesta is over. That’s when the kitchen opens again — and the tapas will be at their best).

Cafe Terrassans, Blanes

When you spend some time on Terrassan’s terrace, either enjoying the sun or the shade of the large umbrellas, you can hardly imagine what Blanes is like during the fall and winter months.

But while the weather here usually isn’t quite as nasty as it gets back home, generally its not good enough to spend time lounging on a terrace.

So the terrace of Cafe Terrassans is put to good use — sporting a huge nativity scene:

The largest waves occurred in El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona) and Blanes (Girona), but Protecció Civil, Catalonia’s Civil Protection service, has listed incidents of storm damage in towns along the entire coast.

In most cases the damage is limited to the erosion of beaches, or some flooding of promenades and roads near the coast.

This time around no damage has been reported to the promenade along S’Abanell, the beach along Blanes’ tourist district.

In previous years storms frequently ate away sections of the boulevard.

In 2009 the boulevard was repaired and reinforced — temporary measures in anticipation of an ambitious redevelopment and improvement project affecting the beach, promenade and streets in the El Pins district.

Each year storm damage to the beaches is repaired.

Much Rain

The large amounts of rain have caused minor landslides, such as on Vidal y Barraquer, one of the roads leading to Blanes’ Castell de Sant Joan.

In recent months Catalonia has been inundated with heavy rains. To give an idea of the amount of water involved, local news website BlanesAldia.com says that from October 19 Malgrat de Mar — just south of Blanes — has seen 510 liters of rainwater per square meter, the amount usually collected during an entire year.

Minor landslides and some flooding has been reported in rural areas throughout Catalonia.

The Civil Protection service has activated the alert phase of INUNCAT, an emergency plan that deals with the threat or occurrence of flooding. It has closed access to some jetties and boulevards along the coast.

The weather services says that while the storm has moved on, waves of up to 2.5 meters high can still be expected.

It was replaced long ago by the modern fish auction building closer to the port.

Earlier this month, a portion of the old building succumbed to the effects of the heavy rain storms that have been plaguing much of Catalonia this fall.

The building has not been in use for years as it is affected by aluminosis — degeneration of the cement used in its construction.

The roof had by now deteriorated so much that it simply could not support the accumulated amount of rain water.

The building — at least the white part of it — was therefore demolished. The red rood of the old structure is still standing.

Rainwater has caused damaged throughout Blanes, and emergency services have had to remove a number of uprooted trees and damaged walls.

Last month 36 people had to be evacuated from an apartment building along Joaquim Ruyra as run-off from the rains had damaged the building’s foundation.

The project, which is of great importance to Blanes’ tourism industry, will cost ten to twelve million Euro. Besides giving the waterfront a new look, the upgrade is also expected to solve the recurring problems of low levels of sand — as well as other storm damage — at S’Abanell beach.

Redevelopment will take place in two phases: phase one runs from the pedestrian zone at the rocky promentory of La Palomera to Mercè Rodoreda (see map below). Phase two, which is still being negotiated, deals with the area between Mercè Rodoreda and the Tordera river.

Boulevard along S’Abanell beach, July 2009, with temporary breakwater reinforcements
© Copyright VisitBlanes.com

The plan — which has also been approved by Spain’s Ministry of the Environment — will be put out to bid within two or three months, Blanes Mayor Jose Trias says.

However, the bidding process and execution of the project cannot start this year for lack of funds. Inititally it was expected that the work could begin as soon as this September, but the final plans were delivered to the Council after the budget deadline.

Municipal authorities are confident that the project will be awarded in 2012, and that work will commence that same year. The entire venture is expected to be completed in 2015.

No major construction will take place during the tourist season, so tourists will not be inconvenienced.

As yet undecided are some aspects of Phase 2 of the plan, which among other things calls for the possible extension of the boulevard all the way to Malgrat.

Storm Damage

The residential neighborhood of El Pins is home to most of Blanes’ hotels and campings.

An improvement project for the tourist district has long been in the planning.

In March, 2009 the renovation of Passeig de Abanell was referred to as a parallel project. However, that project — which involves the renovation of Passeig de Abanell, improvements to the beach, and measures expected to help combat erosion of the beach — is now getting priority treatment.

Over the past decade increasingly violent winter storms have repeatedly decimated S’Abanell beach, frequently causing much damage to the boulevard that runs along it, as well as to the buildings on the boulevard.

While the sand has always been replaced well in time for the tourist season, the yearly cost associated with the recreation of the beach has become prohibitive.

In 2008 tourists noticed that the sand level at S’Abanell was significantly lower than in previous years.

Later that year the Costa Brava was battered by a massive storm. In what the mayor referred to as the worst storm Blanes has seen since the 1950s, the December 26 storm caused much damage to pleasure boats, fishing vessels, tourist ferries and the boulevards along Platja de Blanes and S’Abanell.

At S’Abanell, two buildings on the boulevard were destroyed — the lifeguard station and a small bar, and sections of the boulevard were swept away.

While the storm was uncharacteristically strong, it is believed that the low level of sand at S’Abanell contributed to the amount of damage done to the boulevard and its structures.

One year later a lengthy section of the boulevard was reconstructed and reinforced with boulders.

Though the repairs were of a temporary nature they have already paid off since this stretch of the boulevard has not been damaged during subsequent storms.

Several unprotected sections of the boulevard did receive damage, and in some spots the boulevard’s pavement is still buckled.

Phase 1

The waterfront to be redeveloped in Phase 1 of the project falls under the responsibility of the State of Spain.

The area covered by Phase 2 is the responsibility of La Generalitat de Catalunya. The Generalidat is still negotiating some aspects of the project, which will impact the campings in that area.

Cellestino Lillo, Councillor for the Environment
© Copyright Zoe Diez Gomez Used by permission

Both Mayor Trias and the Councillor for the Environment, Celestino Lillo, considered it important that the project would include not just the fortification and redevelopment of the boulevard, but also the traffic lanes and the pavement across the road.

In Phase 1 the traffic lanes will be pushed back anywhere between 5 and 12 meters, depending on the area. In some spots, such as at Passeig de la Marina in front of the school, this will result in a loss of parking spaces.

The parking spaces across the road from the school will disappear as well. This stretch of the walkway — between La Palomera and boulevard restaurant El Pins — will be moved 2 meters landinwards in order to facilitate the beach. Currently the ‘beach’ along this section of the boulevard usually consists only of huge breakwater boulders.

Lilo says that when the construction is finished the Ministry of the Environment will contribute 500,0000 m³ of sand to S’Abanell beach — instead of the 100,000 m³ normally provided. At that time the beach will be anywhere from 2 to 12 meters wide.

The boulevard along S’Abanell beach will be protected by a breakwater of huge boulders buried underneath the sand.

Buried underneath the sand across the entire boulevard will be a 3 to 4 meters deep breakwater consisting of large boulders — a construction designed to prevent storm damage to the new boulevard.

The boulevard will sport a decorative pavement and room for trees and benches. The same pavement will also be used for the pedestrian walkways across the traffic lanes.

The restaurants along the boulevard will also be renovated. However, they will be reduced in size from 200 m² to 120 m².

Passeig de la Marina — which runs between plaçac de Catalunya and Passeig de Catalunya (at the fountain) — will remain a two-way street, but traffic along Passeig de Abanell will run South only (thus in the direction of the campings). A bike path will be created alongside the traffic lane.

In addition, some side streets of Passeig de Abanell will be turned into pedestrians-only zones.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the project will have a big impact on four campings along the seafront: Camping Blanes, Bella Terra, Voramar and El Pinar.

Camping El Pinar — at the Southernmost end, next to the Tordera river — will reportedly disappear as it is located on property that, according to the zoning plan, is part of the seafront.

The other three campings will have to give up some ground, as the boulevard in that area will be pushed up to 40 meters landinwards. This is necessary because the city and the Generalitat plan to fortify the shore in this area.

In addition there are plan to extend the boulevard not just to Avingude de la vila de la Madrid, but also to extend it all the way to Malgrat so that the two sea-side resorts are connected.

By virtue of its relative size Camping Blanes is expected to lose the least amount; Bella Terra more, and Voramar a big chunk of ground.

The camping owners are reluctant to give up space. They are negotiating with the city as well as with each other. Bella Terra reportedly has offered to buy whatever is left of Voramar in order to recoup its own loss of acreage. The plans for Phase 2 can not be finanalized until all parties come to an agreement.

Incidentally, last year El Pinar and Voramar, afraid of another devastating storm, illegally built a defense wall consisting of large boulders. The city fined the campings a total of €6,000, but notes that the remaining campings will benefit from the fortification measures included in the redevelopment plan.

2011 Tourist Season

As it has done every year, the City of Blanes will make sure there is enough sand on the beaches from Club de Vela at the harbor to the Tordera River.

Blanes’ harbor expansion project is coming along just fine
© Copyright Zoe Diez Gomez Used by permission

Meanwhile work on the harbor enlargement and fortification project has steadily advanced.

That project also includes the building of a jetty for the tour boats that ferry tourists between Blanes and other resorts along the Costa Brava coast.

When the harbor project is finished the retaining wall will have been transformed into a counterpart of the popular seafront boulevard along Platja de Blanes and the yachting harbor.

The city has said it will encourage tourists and locals alike to use the harbor area as an ideal place to eat, walk and recreate. The walkway atop the retaining wall will include concession stands.

Blanes Beachfront Redevelopment Map

View Blanes beachfront redevelopment project in a larger map

- Reporter: Zoé Díez Gómez. Editing: Visit Blanes

At the last moment the town council decided it would not issue a permit for the event.

A spokesperson for the city said the decision was made because the promotion of gay tourism cannot coexist with the family-friendly image Blanes wants to portray.

Just last year Blanes adopted a motion declaring itself to be ‘gay friendly’ — the first city in Spain to do so. The idea was to promote LGBT tourism as well as a social model based on respect for diversity.

At the time Blanes’ statement came just weeks after the neighboring tourist resort of Lloret de Mar rejected a similar proposal.

Fernando Gómez (Democratic Party of Blanes, PdB), the alderman responsible for Tourism, officially mentions economic reasons for refusing to issue a permit to the Pride organizers.

However, according to El Periódico he also says, “It is inconsistent to promote gay tourism along with family tourism and sporting events.”

Gomez also is against the addition of a rainbow flag at locations throughout the city, saying it would not be appropriate since other associations will also want to add their own flags.

El Periódico points out that last year’s adoptation of the ‘gay friendly’ motion was not without controversy. The paper says most of the population was against it, not in the least place because a competing motion would have seen Blanes declare itself a ‘family vacation destination.’

Gay Pride organizer Andres Villaseca says he doesn’t know what ‘economic reasons’ the city is referring to since his organization, Gaylestots, never asked the town for financial support.

Gomez says the permit request, made on June 19, came late and by that time the city had no budget left for the additional costs involved in hosting another 20.000 to 30.000 expected guests.

Meanwhil the nearby towns of Santa Susana and Pineda de Mar did issue permits for Gay Pride 2010, with officials saying that local hotels, bars, restaurants and other businesses would welcome the cash injection.

Santa Susana mayor Josep Monreal (CiU) commented that all sectors of society deserve respect. Xavier Amor (PSC), his counterpart from Pineda, added that we should not resort to labels.

Nowadays a 20 percent unemployment rate — coupled with stricter credit rules that keep jittery bankers from lending to those who most need the money — continues to keep hundreds of thousands of people in Catalonia alone out of suitable housing.

The Generalitat de Catalunya, Catalonia’s government, is looking into ways to tackle that problem.

Housing Secretary Carme Trilla says that while housing needs have not changed, the circumstances have. When the Generalitat adopted the Law on Housing Rights in 2007 it had devised a plan to tackle a steep rise in prices of flats — at the time a whopping 300% increase in just a decade.

“That left thousands of people out of the market since during the same 10 years salaries increased at a much slower rate,” Trilla explains. “But now that apartments are cheaper those same people can still not afford them, either due to insufficient credit, unemployment or low-income jobs.”

The need for affordable houses is highlighted in the Plan Territorial Sectorial de Vivienda (PTSV) — the Territorial Plan for the Housing Sector, a law proposal drafted by Catalonia’s government.

The report says that in Catalonia 571.000 households needs some form of rent protection or housing subsidy.

As drafted the bill says the Generalitat can tackle the need for housing with a variety of measures to be implemented over the next 10 years.

Among other things, the PTSV includes the following measures:

• provide 200,000 young people with financial aid designed to allow them to move into their own apartments as opposed to living with their parents
• create 240,000 social housing units
• make an effort to provide accommodation for 40,000 elderly people
• better the living conditions of 65,000 people, mostly immigrants, who are at risk of social exclusion

Forced Rent

The most controversial aspect of the proposal is the possible enforcement of a ‘forced rent’ measure which would enable the Generalitat to — as a last resort — force property owners to rent out property that has been empty for too long.

The ‘forced rent’ measure was passed as part of the 2007 Housing Rights law.

When a property is kept empty without justification, the government puts the owner on notice. From that point he has two years to find a suitable renter, if necessary with help from local authorities.

If the landlord will not cooperate, or a suitable renter has not been found within the given period of time, the local government may force it to be leased for a period of five years at a set price.

The forced rent approach may be used in the areas with the greatest need. That includes the city of Barcelona and its metropolitan region, the urban areas of Tarragona and surrounding urban areas, and cities like Blanes, Lloret and Roses.

According to the Generalitat Blanes and Lloret de Mar alone need an additional 11,187 apartments each. Yet in reality both towns have more apartments than potential tenants.

Carles Gibert, urban planner in Blanes, says even many promotions have not resulted in the signing of more rental agreements.

“Also, we were close to an agreement with the Government over the building of 40 social housing flats,” he says “But that project has now been postponed due to a lack of financial resources.”

In Lloret it is a similar story. “We have all the apartments you would want,” Teresa Gimeno, owner of real estate agency Planella Bonet told El País. “Never before have we had this many homes on offer. What we need now is customers.” Gimeno company offers flats from 400 Euros a month.

The problem is that many people are out of work. “Without guarantees, no landlord is prepared to rent out his place,” reiterates Mata Madrenas, president of the Association of Real Estate Agents in Girona.
– – © Copyright VisitBlanes.com. Do not republish or repost.

The highest waves recorded during yesterday’s storm, as measured off the coast of Roses, reached 7.7 meters.

Experts have warned that the storm may bring even higher waves today.

The public has been advised to stay away from jetties, and in several towns access to port docks has been closed off.

As a precaution fishermen in Llançà and Blanes have sailed their boats to safer harbors.

The 2008 storm damaged pleasure boats, fishing vessels and tourist ferries — smashing some of them to pieces on the beach of Blanes.

Sections of the docks at the harbor of Blanes also sustained heavy damage, and the seawall is at present unreliable during severe storms.

A project to enlarge and fortify the harbor is on the way.

The current storm also brought snow to the area, curtailing or interrupting some trains services to and from Blanes.

Train services elsewhere in Catalonia were also affected by the storm.

Barcelona, meanwhile, has seen its most intense snowfall since 1962 and snow throughout the region has brought power outages, traffic jams and countless fender-benders.
– – © Copyright VisitBlanes.com. Do not republish or repost.

The plans call for the construction of 12.000 new homes, 5.000 of which are to be build in Blanes. Two thousand of those home are already under construction in Blanes.

Planning Commission director Peter Sola explained that both proposals include efforts to recover green spaces and to provide for areas which will remain free from any construction.

Sola also pointed out that Blanes is continuing its metamorphoses from an industrial town to a city with more emphasis on tourism.

El Pins, Blanes’ hotel district — which includes several camp grounds set among the area’s all pine trees — is slated for a major upgrading project

The new protected green spaces in the Blanes POUM are in addition to those of Pinya de Rosa, the delta of the Tordera river, and El Pins.
– – © VisitBlanes.com. Do not republish or repost.

A public company has been awarded the 22.7 million euro contract.

The project involves construction of a new outer breakwater — the bi-level dike where tourists watch the fishing fleet return home in the late afternoon.

Fishing boats in the harbor of Blanes
Copyright: I have seen this before – Used by permission

The new dam will be 595 meters long, extending both the fishing dock and the promenade. The fishermen will be provided with more working space and additional equipment and service facilities.

The need for renovation of the existing dike has been acknowledged for years. But though Blanes is the region’s most important fishing harbor, generating 2,550 tons of fish in 2008, money for repairs was always in short supply.

That changed when a severe winter storm in December of 2008 caused extensive damage to the port’s already crumbling breakwater.

The storm, said to be the worst Catalonia has seen in 50 years, also damaged pleasure boats, fishing vessels and tourist ferries. Some ships sank, while others broke free of their moorings and smashed to pieces when 4-6 meter high waves tossed them onto the beach.

At the time the harbor expansion project had been stranded in the offices of the Ministry of the Environment.

Punta de Santa Ana

Speaking of which, the expansion project will be carried out with great attention for the environment.

Great care has been taken that the coast line of the Punta de Santa Ana, the series of small coves and rocky islands just North of the harbor, will not be changed.

For that reason the new dock will start at the same point where the dike is currently located.

Jetty for the Ferry Boats

As part of the project, which is expected to take 23 months, a jetty will be built alongside the counterdike to facilitate the tour boats that ferry passengers between Blanes and various other seaside resorts along the coast.

These ferry boats carry 50.000 passengers annually.

The project also aims to strengthen the integration between the port and the city of Blanes by better promotion of its pedestrian promenade.

The storm brought snow to Tarragona, a Catalonia beach resort town 60 miles southwest of Barcelona.

In Sant Antoni de Calonge a strong gust of wind pushed a woman into the sea where she drowned.

Along the coast of Maresme waves reaching a high of 4.5 meters swept away much of the sand redeposited on the beaches last year by the Ministry of the Environment.

And in Blanes the storm carried away 120 meters of the boulevard along S’Abanell beach. The damaged section is at the end of the walk, alongside the campings. Further north the stretch of boulevard repaired and reinforced last year was not damaged in the latest storm.
© Copyright VisitBlanes.com. Do not repost or republish.