The public entity Puertos Canarios has designed a socio-cultural revitalization campaign that places the port infrastructure of southern Gran Canaria at the forefront of its territorial visibility strategy. The managing director of the regional government-owned entity, José Gilberto Moreno, presented the official schedule for the "Open Ports" events in the island's capital. This initiative, offering free guided tours, aims to transform public perception of the 52 docks managed by the regional government. The proposal seeks to showcase the technical evolution of these facilities towards the "Ecoports" model, highlighting the logistical role played by the docks along the southern coast in passenger and freight connectivity, as well as in supporting fishing, scientific, and sporting activities.
The campaign's rollout is focused particularly on the tourist region of San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Mogán, areas that are home to some of the archipelago's most exclusive nautical concessions. The sector-specific program aims to connect the historical memory of local fishing communities with the modern demands for sustainability and respect for the marine environment that govern the operating contracts of the regional network. Guided tours led by qualified personnel will allow participants to understand the inner workings of the port facilities, the environmental management systems implemented in recreational marinas, and the operational challenges faced by the southern artisanal fishing fleet.
The itinerary through the marinas of Pasito Blanco, Arguineguín and Mogán
The program designed for Gran Canaria during May and June includes specific activities at the three major port infrastructures that drive tourism in the south of the island. The schedule will begin in the southern region on Friday, June 5th at 6:00 PM at the Pasito Blanco Marina, a leading facility for international nautical tourism operating under a concession agreement. The circuit will continue immediately on Saturday, June 18th at the Arguineguín dock, a mixed-use facility that accommodates both the unloading of fresh fish and the transit of maritime excursion boats. The regional circuit will conclude on Sunday, June 28th at 18:00 PM at the Port of Mogán, known for its architectural and urban integration.
The ethnographic offerings of these events are highlighted by the premiere of the stage project "Salt Stories," a small-scale artistic proposal designed to revitalize the public spaces of the selected docks. The approximately 40-minute performance uses a houseboat as a stage set to intertwine theater, music, and visual poetry, placing at the heart of the narrative the values of community resilience and historical memory linked to the evolution of the islands' coastline. Logistical arrangements ensure the event takes place in the afternoon at the southern docks to encourage attendance by residents and visitors from the accommodation areas of Maspalomas.
The Ministry of Public Works and Housing, the department responsible for Puertos Canarios (Canary Islands Ports), has introduced a series of educational visits exclusively for the island's schools. On Friday, June 19th, at 11:30 a.m., the Port of Castillo de El Romeral, located on the eastern edge of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, will be transformed into a field classroom for school groups from the region. The visits will serve as a platform to explain the socioeconomic dynamics of traditional fishing in the face of tourism development. Similar sessions for schools will be held at the northern docks of Sardina de Gáldar and the fishing port of San Cristóbal.
The strategy of opening the regional docks aims to consolidate the decentralized management model in contrast to the large state-owned ports managed by the Port Authority of Las Palmas. The regional public entity intends to legitimize investments in green infrastructure by demonstrating the social benefit of the docks at La Aldea, Taliarte, and Agaete, which complete Gran Canaria's operational map within this promotional circuit. The regional corporation is already preparing to extend this schedule to the rest of the archipelago's islands starting in July, using participation indicators and the response from the nautical business sector along the Gran Canaria coast as benchmarks.
