Port expansion project completed

VisitBlanes.com — In December 2008 an unusually strong storm left a trail of destruction all along the Costa Brava.

The port of Blanes, with its main seawall already crumbling from old age, was one of the hardest hit. Pleasure boats, fishing vessels and tourist ferries were damaged and many smashed to pieces on Platja de Blanes, the beach between the harbor and the rocky promontory of La Palomera.

Port of Blanes after upgrade and expansion

Port of Blanes after upgrade and expansion


Local politicians and city authorities had for years said that the port, which was in bad disrepair, needed to be upgraded and expanded.

However, the project — with a budget of € 22 million — was stranded in the offices of the Ministry of the Environment. One of the challenges of the project was that construction would not be allowed to damage or negatively affect any part of the coast line of Punta de Santa Ana, the series of small coves and rocky islands just North of the harbor.

Then the storm came — on Boxing Day, 2008. Locals later said it was the worst Blanes had seen since the 1950s.

Here’s what it looked like that night:

This was filmed from the boulevard along Platja de Blanes, the beach that fronts the old part of town. The lights in the distance are those along the harbor. And you’ll recognize two of the tourist ferry boats that normally shelter in the harbor overnight, now tossed onto the beach, with one of them breaking up.

We’ve got more videos of the storm and its aftermath over here.

While many boats stranded that night, needless to say the storm managed to dislodge the budget deliberations, and in January 2010 a public company was awarded the harbor expansion project.

The project is now finished, safe for some finishing touches:

The city of Blanes plans to actively promote what it views as an extension of its promenade. Concession stands will eventually dot the walkway along the seawall and there is talk about construction of an extra restaurant or two.

The videos are provided by Blanesaldia.com — a website that provides news in Catalan about Blanes, Calella, Malgrat, Pineda, Santa Susanna, Palafolls and Tordera.

Port of Blanes in the late 1950s

Port of Blanes in the late 1950s

Thank you for using our Visit Blanes tourist guide. We trust you will have a wonderful holiday!

See Barcelona, and don't miss the Botanical Garden in Blanes

The Marimurtra Botanical Garden in Blanes is considered the best Mediterranean Botanical Garden in Europe. Founded by Karl Faust, the garden not only features 4000+ species of plants, but also provides gorgeous, panoramic views across the Mediterranean sea. Instagram, anyone?

Also, see the impressive La Sagrada Familia, beautiful Casa Batlló, and more masterful works by Antoni Gaudi on a tour through Barcelona.

Get your Skip-the-ticket-line tickets from our trusted partner, GetYourGuide.
Tags:,
This post was last updated: Nov. 3, 2013    

2 Comments

  1. John Wright May 18, 2012
  2. Sundial May 18, 2012

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.