Port of Barcelona


The Port of Barcelona has a 2000-year history and great contemporary commercial importance as one of Europe's major ports in the Mediterranean, as well as being Catalonia's largest port, tying with Tarragona. It is also Spain's third and Europe's ninth largest container port, with a trade volume of 3.42 million TEUs in 2018. The port is managed by the Port Authority of Barcelona. Its are divided into three zones: Port Vell, the commercial/industrial port, and the logistics port.
This is not the only port in Barcelona, as there are also two additional yacht harbors/marinas: Port Olímpic and Port Fòrum Sant Adrià to the north.

Overview

The area comprises two marinas or yacht harbors, a fishing port, a maritime station for ferries travelling to the Balearic Islands and other destinations in the Mediterranean and other stations or landing areas cruise ships, and it abuts the industrial port.
In the central area, it also houses "Maremagnum", a multiplex cinema, the IMAX Port Vell, and Europe's largest aquarium, containing 8,000 fish and 11 sharks in 22 basins filled with 6 million litres of sea water. Because it is located in a designated tourist zone, the Maremagnum is the only commercial mall in the city that can open on Sundays and public holidays. Next to the Maremagnum area are the "Golondrines", small ships that take tourists for a visit around the port area and beyond.
The Barcelona industrial port is to the south and comprises the Zona Franca, a tariff-free industrial park that has developed within the Port of Barcelona, across the flat land of the Llobregat Delta between the city of Barcelona and that of El Prat de Llobregat and the Barcelona International Airport to the south.
A good place to view both the industrial and pleasure port is from Montjuïc, and more specifically, from Montjuïc Castle, as well as from the aerial cable car connecting Barceloneta with the Ferry Station and Montjuïc.

Information

In common with much of Western Europe, the older traditional industries in Spain, such as textiles, declined in the face of foreign competition. The surviving companies closed their factories in the city or along the rivers, leaving industrial wastelands or abandoned workers' colonies. In many cases within Spain, these industries moved to the Zona Franca.
The free trade zone is located within the port area, not far away from downtown Barcelona, and is easy to access. It is away from the Barcelona International Airport and connected via highway and railway.
Business investors here rent offices or bonded warehouses. They can also elect to purchase land to erect their own buildings.
The free trade zone offers a series of services. It is divided into a comprehensive service area, truck/lorry area, reception area, and sports facilities area. It has a customs duties service, bonded warehousing service, advanced telecommunication and computer system, security system, combined multiple transport system, and so on.
On 17 January 1977, a landing craft being used as a liberty boat by and
, was run over by a freighter. The Mike8 boat capsized and came to rest against the fleet landing pier. Crew-members from both vessels were on hand to assist with rescue operations. There were over one hundred sailors and marines on board the landing craft. 49 sailors and marines were killed. A memorial is erected at the landing pier in memory.

History

In 1978, the Ministry of Public Works declared Bilbao, Huelva and Valencia and Barcelona autonomous ports. It became then known as the Autonomous Port of Barcelona and while remaining a government body, it was able to function as a commercial enterprise subject to private law.
Opening the Bosch i Alsina wharf in Port Vell to the public in 1981 marked the start to transform the Northern part of the port. This gained much momentum with the decision in 1986 that Barcelona would host the 1992 Summer Olympics. In the subsequent years, the run-down area of empty warehouses, railroad yards, and factories was converted to an attractive harborfront area in a huge urban renewal project. Also neighbouring Barceloneta and its beaches have been transformed to open the city up to the sea. During the Olympics the port hosted up to 11 cruise ships that served as floating hotels.
In November 1992, the central body Ports of the State was created by the Spanish government which brought the end to the Autonomous Port of Barcelona. Since then the port is operated by Barcelona Port Authority.
The Logistics Activity Zone is a multimodal transport centre that was set up in 1993 with an initial area of 68 hectares in the first phase. The second phase then saw an extension of 143 hectares into El Prat de Llobregat.
In July 1999, the World Trade Center was opened.
Between 2001 and 2008 the port underwent an enlargement that doubled its size by diverting the mouth of the Llobregat River to the south and slightly pushing back the Llobregat Delta Nature Reserve.

Passenger ferries

The three passenger terminals Terminal Drassanes, Terminal Ferry Barcelona and Grimaldi Terminal Barcelona are located in Port Vell. While Baleària and Trasmediterránea operate connections to the Balearic Islands, the companies Grimaldi Lines and Grandi Navi Veloci serve destinations in Italy and Morocco.
DestinationTerminalTravel timeFerry operator
Alcúdia, MallorcaTerminal Drassanes6hBaleària
Palma, MallorcaTerminal Port-Nou8hBaleària
Palma, MallorcaTerminal Ferry Barcelona8hTrasmediterránea
IbizaTerminal Port-Nou9hBaleària
IbizaTerminal Ferry Barcelona9hTrasmediterránea
Mahón, MenorcaTerminal Ferry Barcelona9hTrasmediterránea
Ciutadella, MenorcaTerminal Drassanes9hBaleària
Porto TorresGrimaldi Terminal Barcelona12h 15mGrimaldi Lines
SavonaGrimaldi Terminal Barcelona17hGrimaldi Lines
CivitavecchiaGrimaldi Terminal Barcelona20hGrimaldi Lines
GenoaTerminal Ferry Barcelona20h 30mGrandi Navi Veloci
TangierGrimaldi Terminal Barcelona28hGrimaldi Lines
NadorTerminal Ferry Barcelona28h 45mGrandi Navi Veloci
TangierTerminal Ferry Barcelona31hGrandi Navi Veloci