Approval was granted yesterday for the creation of a new ferry port in the popular southern resort of Playa Blanca. The project has been under discussion for several years, but the plans were only finally approved yesterday by the local mayoress Gladys Acuña, the vice-president of the Cabildo, Fabián Martin and the director general of the ports, Manuel Soto.
Originally, the project intended an extension of the existing port. However, it has now been agreed that an entirely new harbour will be built to the west of the current ferry port, at the edge of the small holiday complex of Puerto Chico. This division will leave the old port as it is, with fishing boats and sport users continuing to use the moorings in the harbour as before. Whilst ferry passengers, both on foot and in cars, will have exclusive use of the new port, thus avoiding the sort of congestion that is currently experienced at peak times as vehicles queue to get on the ferry, which crosses the Bocaina Straits to the neighbouring island of Fuerteventura.
A new slip road will run down from the Avenida de las Canarias, past Puerto Chico and into the new port. An added bonus of relocating the ferry port further to the west of the main town beach is that the wake caused by the ferry maneuvering in and out of the port will lessen the tidal surge that hits the sands of Playa Blanca beach. The new port will have three docking places for ferries.
