The Port of Barcelona shows its ins and outs in its first open doors

If it is already difficult for Barcelona residents to move around the city center during a tourist season that is getting longer and longer, it is even more difficult for them to be encouraged to stroll along its seafront. Hence, few know its port and only think of it when the cruises that arrive in summer are mentioned. With the aim of opening up to residents, the Port of Barcelona will organize the first open days next May, showing its most hidden spaces, full of economic activity every day and with a thousand security measures that prevent more everyday visits.

For three days, from Friday, May 24 to Sunday, May 26, guided tours will be organized through places that are usually closed to the public, such as the Logistics Activities Zone (ZAL), the BEST terminal and the Farola lighthouse, the old beach of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. From the Barcelona dock, the Marina del Prat Vermell neighborhood and El Prat de Llobregat, buses will depart to tour the interior of the port and end at the Portal de la Pau, the nerve center of the rest of the activities that will be organized during the open days.

"We want to make more city. Port Vell is the best-known part but it only represents 80 hectares of the 1,150 hectares we have," defends the president of the Port of Barcelona, Lluís Salvadó. "The days are born with the clear vision of making us feel proud of our port. They have it in many cities around the world, such as in ports in northern Europe, and we want it to happen here too," added the director of Port Vell, David Pino.

After entering the port facilities, at the Portal de la Pau, about twenty talks will be organized that will detail questions that some will ask themselves after seeing it in situ, such as the operation of a container terminal. All of this will be enlivened at night with habaneras, gegants and rumba workshops. There will also be workshops and activities for the little ones, such as face painting and storytelling, and even a play area with a strong pirate presence will be set up, from parades, a tavern and a ship to fire shows.

There will not only be bus tours, which will be tourist-oriented in the case of those departing from Barcelona's pier, but it will also be possible to board one of the typical Golondrinas to see the port, something many have not done for years and which this time they will be able to do for free. In addition, walking routes will be organized in which the history of the Fusta pier and the popular Barceloneta will be discovered, with some of them dramatized to give them more life.

To round off the plan, at the Portal de la Pau, there will be a maritime market with 15 gastronomic shops, where local products can be bought and tasted. "These activities are designed for locals, not for tourists; we want to introduce our port to the people from here," Pino remarked. As expected, there will be a selfie contest to ensure participants thoroughly explore the facilities.

All activities organized during the open days will be free, but reservations will be required in advance for guided bus, boat, or walking tours through the website, with a one-euro payment to guarantee attendance, which will not be refunded. Local actors have also joined the initiative, with open doors at the Museu Marítim de Barcelona and the Museu d'Història de Catalunya, a guided tour of La Rambla by Amics de la Rambla, and an RC Sailing regatta.

With a total of 240 scheduled visits, the port expects to attract around 16,000 residents of Barcelona and El Prat de Llobregat in this first edition, with the aim of adapting the offer in future editions based on what they detect this May. "People who are interested should sign up quickly; there are places, but not that many. It's the first time we've done this, and we don't know how it will turn out, as happened with the first edition of Nadal al Port; we only had a small space, and now we occupy the entire Fusta pier. In these first open days, we have to organize them coherently; if we see it's a success, we'll make them bigger next time," Pino explained. The total budget for the initiative is 120,000 euros.