Port of las palmas: Las Palmas Port. Tourist ports in Spain

Global Ports Holding Unveils Las Palmas Project – Cruise Industry News

Global Ports Holding and its local partner SEPCAN, together with the Las Palmas Port Authority has revealed its plans for its Las Palmas Project.

On August 22, Global Ports Holding announced the completion of the concession agreement of three ports in the Canary Islands: Las Palmas, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote Cruise Ports through Global Ports Canary Islands S.L., an 80:20 joint venture between GPH and our local partner Sepcan S.L.

GPCI will start operations of the three cruise ports in October 2022, ahead of the peak winter season, with over 650 scheduled calls in Las Palmas, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura together, according to a press release.

Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, President of Puertos del Estado, Luis Ibarra, President of Las Palmas Port Authority, Mehmet Kutman GPH Chairman and CEO and Javier Rodríguez Sánchez, GPH Regional Director West Med & Asia introduced the official project during a recent event.

GPH, together with its local partner Sepcan has revealed its plans for the 3 ports in the Canary Islands with an investment of €40 million.

Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, President of Puertos del Estado (the Spanish Ports National Board) said: “The cruise sector is one of the reference traffic in Spanish ports of general interest. It has been consolidated over the years, today having some of the European ports of reference for cruise ships, such as the Port of Las Palmas.”

Luis Ibarra, Las Palmas Port Authority President said: “In the last decade, the Port Authority of Las Palmas has invested 45 million euros in infrastructure for cruise operations and a further 20 million euros is planned up to 2026. We have reinforced competitiveness and quality in the provision of port services for the demanding cruise traffics. The common project of Global Ports Holding and Ports of Las Palmas is a great development born out of determination, commitment and professionalism.”

Mehmet Kutman, GPH Chairman and CEO highlighted the importance of the Project for GPH: “Spain has always been an important country for GPH as it has been the milestone of its expansion into the international cruise markets. With our local partner Sepcan group, we look forward to work in partnership with Port Authority of Las Palmas and all stakeholders for this project.”

Javier Rodríguez Sánchez, GPH Regional Director West Med & Asia said: “Today, we are delighted to reveal our latest project of 3 ports in the Canaries. The Las Palmas project is a proof of our continued efforts in sustainability and shows our commitment not only to social benefits but our care for the environment. We look forward to enhance guest experience and cruise operations with the local expertise and global knowledge in the Canaries and we also look forward to continue working in our expansion projects in the region.”

The project features a new sustainable terminal building and infrastructure improvement in the Las Palmas Cruise Port, GPH said, in a press release.

The project includes a 14,400m2 terminal build from sustainable recycled materials to achieve low carbon footprint that will be able to provide smoother homeporting and transit operations at one of the busiest ports in Spain.

Operational by 2024 cruise season, Las Palmas Cruise Port, with an ability to handle the largest cruise ships in the world simultaneously, will have new retail and F&B experiences, capacity for 40 busses and an improved operational structure.

La Palmas de Gran Canaria Cruise Port

Las Palmas Cruise Port

There are two cruise ship docks in Las Palmas:

• Las Palmas City Centre Docks
• Santa Catalina Point Docks

As implied by the name, the Las Palmas City Centre Docks are located
right in the city centre.

The Santa Catalina Point Docks have a capacity to handle five cruise
ships but don’t have a terminal building. The El Muelle shopping mall,
however, is located directly across the street from the docks. 
There is also a tourist information booth located nearby.

Public Transportation

Port Shuttle

N/A

Bus Service

The island of Gran Canaria has an excellent public transit system.  
The main bus station is located at San Telmo.

Ferry Service

Ferry service operates from the port to other islands is the Canary
archipelago.

Hop-on Hop-off Bus

The Las Palmas hop-on hop-off bus shuttles passengers to many of
the city’s top tourist attractions.

Buses run every 30 minutes from 10 AM until 6 PM. The duration of
the cruise is 1 hour 30 minutes.  A 24-hour tickets cost approximately
USD$30.

There is a bus stop close to the cruise terminal.  The bus also
stops at the following sites:

• Parque Santa Catalina
• El Corte Inglés
• Pueblo Canario
• Vegueta / Catedral
• Teatro Pérez Galdós
• Estación de San Telmo
• Muelle Sta. Catalina
• Museo Elder
• Playa de las Canteras
• 2B Paseo de la Cornisa
• 2A Auditorio Alfredo Kraus

Las Palmas Cruise Port

Visitor Information

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Top attractions in Las Palmas includes the following:

• Canaries Museum
• Canteras Beach
• Casa de Colon
• Columbus Museum
• Doramas Park
• Las Palmas Old Town (Vegetal) – 6 km south of the dock
• Modern Art Museum
• San Christobal Beach
• Santa Anna Church

Please visit the Las
Palmas Travel Guide for comprehensive information about the city.

Gran Canaria Island

Attractions elsewhere on the Island of Gran Canaria are the following:

• Golf Courses
• Mount Teide (volcano)
• Ocean Beaches

Access the Gran Canaria Vacation
Guide for more information about Gran Canaria island.

Map of Las Palmas Cruise Port

View

map of Las Palmas Cruise Port.

Spain Currency

Gran Canaria Island is a Spanish Island.  The currency used
is the euro.

Weather in Las Palmas

Las Palmas enjoys a very mild but dry climate.  It is sometimes
referred to as the “Eternal Spring”.

Average daily temperature by month are as follows:

Free Wifi Service

Wifi access is available at El Muelle shopping mall, across the street
from the dock at Santa Catalina Point.

Las Palmas Cruise Port (Gran Canaria)

Location

The Santa Catalina Cruise Terminal in Las Palmas is the main port for ferries and cruise ships, so it’s always busy. Located right in the city center, the cruise terminal can accommodate 2 large ships. El Muelle is a very modern shopping center 100 meters away. Directly in front of the terminal is the bus station where local buses leave. In addition, there are many taxis waiting for passengers here. You can easily see everything on foot. nine0005

After the smaller capitals of the other Canary Islands, Las Palmas, with its 600,000 population, may seem like a real metropolis

How to get from Gran Canaria Airport to Las Palmas cruise port

You can take bus number 60 from the airport to the seaport. The stop is located at the airport exit, slightly to the right of the exit. You need to go to the final stop, which is called Santa Catalina, the journey takes 45 minutes. The fare is 3 euros, this includes luggage. The suitcase will need to be placed in the luggage compartment. The bus runs from 6 am to 11 pm, with an interval of 45 minutes. You can find the exact timetable at the bus stop or at the airport building. The final stop is within walking distance from the entrance to the port. Please note that the stop is located underground. nine0005

What to see in Las Palmas on a cruise

In the heart of the Vegueta quarter stands the Cathedral of Santa Ana with twin towers. This is the first architectural structure in the Canaries, which was built at the direction of the Catholic kings after the conquest of Gran Canaria in 1478. The construction began around 1500 and took almost 4 centuries, which made it inevitable that several architects and artists intervened in the process. The result of this was the unification of three main architectural styles: Gothic, Renaissance and Neoclassical. nine0005

Another fun attraction is the “live” moving sculpture. You can watch it for free at the entrance to the Museum of Technology, which is only 150 meters from your mooring.

The tourist office is located at Calle Leon y Castillo, 17.

Routes, excursions, transport in the port of Las Palmas

Buses with free entry and exit are waiting for you near the terminal. Since life here slows down between noon and 3 pm (siesta), this interval is perhaps the best time to land. nine0005

Taxis are matte white vehicles with a red stripe on the front doors. Other signs that will help you recognize a taxi are the letters SP (which stands for Servicio Publico) and a green light on the roof or windshield (which indicates that the taxi is free).

A four-hour taxi tour costs about 100 euros. Drivers know all the lovely places.

What to see around Las Palmas

In the northern part of the city (take a bus or taxi from Parque Santa Catalina, but you can also walk) there is a 3-kilometer sandy beach de la Canteras with many restaurants and a pleasant atmosphere. nine0005

The south of the island is a resort area, the journey to which takes about 50 minutes. There are many good beaches, as well as high-rise hotels.

Arucas is the banana capital of the island, located in the mountains west of Las Palmas. Here is a factory for the production of local rum.

Palmitos Park – a great place to visit with children

Shops and cuisine of Las Palmas

In addition to the port, there is El Muelle – a shopping center with large shops and boutiques.

Many shops can be found in the narrow streets on the other side of the nearby Parcue Santa Catalina, a square filled with open-air cafes. This is a great place to buy tobacco and drinks. (The Canary Islands have a special duty-free status!)

The best places to eat are along the beach de las Canteras, in Vegueta, the oldest part of the city, and in the Triana area.

El Corte Ingles is a luxury department store close to where you park. . nine0005

Currency

Euro.

Where to stay before and after the cruise

We recommend AC Hotel Gran Canaria from our own experience. It is located about halfway between the cruise port and the beach de las Canteras, both within walking distance. There is also a bus station in the immediate vicinity, from where buses leave for the airport. If you get the upper floors – get a great view of the city.

Now that you know the list of all the key places, we will show their location on the map. In fact, everything is very compact. nine0005

Due to the pandemic, 400 sailors from Russia remained in the Spanish port

April 24, 2020, 07:50

/TASS/. At least 400 Russian fishermen who have completed work cannot return home from the Spanish port of Las Palmas due to coronavirus restrictions. Several tens of thousands of sailors and fishermen from the Russian Federation have already found themselves in a similar situation in the world, and by the summer their number may double, TASS was told on Friday in the Russian Union of Seafarers (SUR). nine0005

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Fishermen in Spain

“About 200 sailors [from fishing vessels]: about 100 people from Kaliningrad, about 50 Crimeans and more than 20 sailors from the regions of the North-West <...> cannot leave Las Palmas,” TASS told Chairman of the Kaliningrad organization of the SUR Vadim Mamontov.

Mamontov explained to TASS that Las Palmas is the base port where crew changes and repairs of many fishing boats “working for Africa” ​​take place. The contracts of sailors and fishermen, which were reported in the trade union, have ended, these people should return to Russia, and other specialists should take their place. However, due to the pandemic situation, this has not yet been possible. nine0005

The press service of the trade union added that there are also 200 fishermen in Las Palmas working for Murmansk companies, it is not known if there are still Russians in the port. The Federation of Trade Unions of Maritime Transport Workers and the trade union organization “Murmansk Trawl Fleet” appealed to the Russian government with a request to organize a charter flight from Murmansk to Las Palmas to change the crews of fishing vessels, which have been on the voyage for 7 months instead of the required 5. 5.

Pavel Parshev, a representative of the Murmansk Trawl Fleet organization, noted that Murmansk seafarers who are abroad do not have domestic problems, employers compensate for the delay on the flight (earlier it was reported that these are JSC Taurus and JSC Strelets, which are part of the FEST group of companies). “The problem is not with the charter. The problem is precisely with the organization of the whole complex of these events: the departure of the quarantine in the countries where the shift will take place, then the departure of the quarantine already here, on the territory of Russia, between this all we need to open the border and much more,” he explained . nine0005

According to the SUR, an agreement has already been reached with one of the airlines to operate a charter flight that can pick up seafarers from Spain. But the carrier requires documents that would confirm the readiness of the regions to take responsibility for their reception in a pandemic, and “so far the issue remains unresolved. ”

Sailors from Spain are due to arrive in Crimea on April 26, after which it is planned to send them to the observatory, said Natalya Penkovskaya, head of the interregional department of Rospotrebnadzor for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. “As for the arrival of the crews of ships from Spain, which arrive on the night of April 26, according to the information of the maritime personnel agency, they signed all the documents that they agree to be in the observatory, yesterday the issue was worked out with our airport that they did not will go to the arrivals hall – the plane will be placed in a sanitary parking lot, Sevastopol will pick up its residents separately with its own transport. The Evpatoria Observatory is ready, we have prepared resolutions on mandatory isolation in the conditions of the observatory, these people will be placed – 30 people in the Evpatoria Observatory and 10 people in Sevastopol observatory,” she said. nine0005

Tens of thousands of “hostages” of the coronavirus

The first deputy chairman of the SUR, Igor Kovalchuk, told TASS that the story in Las Palmas is one of many. Difficulties with the change of crews of civilian ships began to appear a few weeks ago, but have now grown into a serious problem. “The vast majority of states have introduced quarantine measures, a ban on crossing borders, and this makes it difficult to replace crews. Our shipowners, even those who own ships under the flags of countries with convenient legislation, are trying to enter Russian ports and make a replacement here,” Kovalchuk said. nine0005

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He explained that the problem is important both for Russia and for other countries. Most of the cargo, including food products and items needed for medical facilities, is transported over long distances by sea. This means that failures in the operation of courts will affect both ship-owning companies and recipient countries. And emergency situations are really possible, as seafarers without vacation accumulate fatigue, and because of this, the risk of accidents and accidents increases. nine0005

“In Russia, according to our estimates, there are 80-100 thousand sailors who work on Russian and foreign sea vessels, this is only the merchant fleet, not counting the fishermen. And half are approaching the fact that replacement is required: some are on ships and must return home, others must go to sea, earn money to feed their families, pay loans, etc. There are no exact statistics yet, but we are talking about tens of thousands of sailors and fishermen who are faced with this problem,” the source said. . nine0005

According to the International Shipping Association, there are approximately 1.65 million trained civil ship professionals worldwide. The leading countries in terms of the number of seafarers are China, the Philippines, Indonesia, the Russian Federation and Ukraine – the citizens of these states work for both domestic and foreign companies. Russians – about 5% of all civilian sailors in the world.

“These data allow us to make at least approximate calculations. If the real need, according to the International Shipping Association, is about 1.5 million employees, then there are about 600 thousand real jobs: some of the seafarers are at sea, a little more than half are on land ( in case a seafarer is suddenly unable to go on a voyage due to illness or other reasons).According to recently announced data, there are changes for about 100,000 jobs per month.Given how long the problem of crew change lasts, it now affects 200,000 seafarers at sea, the same number on land, and this is only the merchant fleet,” Kovalchuk added. nine0005

Problems in Russia

As the trade union explained to TASS, there are difficulties with the replacement of crews in Russia, for example, in the Murmansk region, sailors cannot go ashore if they left a foreign port less than two weeks ago. In fact, the ship turns into a floating observatory, and shipowners lose tens of thousands of dollars a day due to downtime.

“There is a document that allows Russian sailors to cross the borders of the country when changing crew, but in reality this is not always applied, and I have many such situations. Right now a ship with a Russian crew is going to Taman, and they are refused to change them, because the unfavorable The epidemiological situation is difficult there: the crewing company says that it would be happy to change, but refers to an agent, who, in turn, points to the order of the port authorities,” Olga Ananyina, inspector of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), told TASS. nine0005

Starting from the end of March of the current year, in the port of Kaliningrad, all crews of vessels, with the exception of those carrying out cabotage transportation on the territory of the Russian Federation, are prohibited from going ashore, as well as contact with family members. The change of crew members of foreign ships is prohibited until further notice, for Russians it is allowed subject to precautionary measures and subject to a 14-day self-isolation after arrival. If a sick crew member is detected on a ship entering the port, shipowners are ordered to immediately inform the emergency services, and the ship is obliged to stand at a specially designated anchorage to remove the sick person from board. nine0005

Meanwhile, there are already examples when it was possible to change the crew abroad. In particular, as previously reported, in February this was done for the Russian ship Sti Rose, which was in Shanghai and where it was difficult to change sailors due to the coronavirus.

Ways to solve the problem

Recently, in the Russian Federation, whose borders are closed due to the epidemiological situation in the world, it was allowed to enter the country and travel abroad for ship crew members who are on their way to replace or return home. But even this, according to the SUR, is useless until similar measures are taken in other countries. nine0005

Kovalchuk explained that the period of work of seafarers on a ship depends on the terms of the contract and the legislation of the country whose flag they fly. In the Russian Federation, the duration of the watch is from three months to six months, in some countries it can be up to 11 months.

Now Russian companies-employers are ready to organize charter flights, if it is allowed to change several crews in one port at once. Other options using trains or vehicles are also being considered. But all these schemes require permission to enter the port, arrival and departure of sailors from the authorities of the country where the crew change will take place. nine0005

“The International Organization of Transport Workers (ITF), together with the International Chamber of Shipping, appeal to the UN, the International Maritime Organization (IMO, a specialized agency of the UN – TASS note), was an appeal to the leaders of the G20 countries. In his speech, the IMO Secretary General called on governments to regulate issues of repatriation of sailors,” Kovalchuk said.

He noted that the first steps to solve the problem are already being taken. “For example, the European Union has issued a special guideline in which it suggests that European countries establish rules, ports and airports where it will be possible to replace sailors and from where one could fly – naturally, this should take place taking into account all the requirements to prevent coronavirus infection,” he added.