The Puerto de las Nieves brought together numerous residents and visitors in an open program that combined outreach, coastal history, sustainability and citizen participation.
The awarding of the 2026 Canary Islands Blue Flags and the recognition achieved for the first time by six directly managed ports marked a historic day for the islands.
The Port of Las Nieves, in Agaete, hosted a Smart Eco-Ports event this Monday, which concluded with great success in terms of attendance and broad participation from residents, visitors, maritime professionals, and institutional representatives. The event transformed the port area into an open space for meeting, learning, and celebration, strengthening the bond between the port and its community.
From 10:00 AM, the program included workshops, guided tours, environmental demonstrations, an exhibition of vintage photographs, spaces for local artisans and producers, and displays of maritime trades such as net and trap repair. The public's response confirmed their interest in learning more about the port's operations and the advancements that Puertos Canarios is promoting in sustainability, efficiency, innovation, and digitalization.
One of the highlights was the presentation of the 2026 Canary Islands Blue Flags and the subsequent raising of the flag at the Port of Las Nieves. This distinction, awarded for the first time to Agaete, Garachico, Caleta del Sebo, Gran Tarajal, Órzola, and Playa Blanca—six Canary Island ports of general interest under direct management—represents a milestone for the Canary Islands and highlights the work carried out in environmental management, safety, accessibility, service quality, and port modernization.
During his speech, the Minister of Public Works, Housing, and Mobility of the Canary Islands Government, Pablo Rodríguez, highlighted the collective value of this achievement and the importance of moving towards more sustainable, intelligent, and accessible ports. The Minister also paid tribute to Andrés Marín Fernández de la Puente, General Manager of Fred. Olsen; Francisco Múgica Henríquez, civil engineer; Gabriel Jiménez Cruz, head of the Agaete Fishermen's Association; and José Amabe Hernández Valencia, port officer of Agaete, for their connection to and contributions to the development and life of the area.
Puertos Canarios gives a very positive assessment of a day that fulfilled its dual objective: to bring the Smart Eco-Ports model closer to the public and to celebrate a historic recognition for the islands' port network. Agaete thus consolidates its position as a benchmark for a new way of understanding ports, in which tradition and innovation, economic activity, history and environmental protection advance hand in hand.
