Cruise ship season in full swing

La Gomera is fast becoming a very popular cruise ship destination and this winter season more cruise ships are visiting the island than in previous years. It now regularly happens that two cruise ships are arriving in the harbour of San Sebastian de La Gomera, forcing one to anchor outside the port and having to bring guests ashore by ship's tender. This was the case yesterday when P&O's Aurora was occupying the cruise ship berth on the pier and the Ocean Majesty anchoring just outside the harbour's mouth in glorious weather.

Further growth for La Gomera's main port

Cruise ship 'Mein Schiff 4' with close to 2800 passengers in the port of San Sebastian de La Gomera yesterday

Latest statistics show further growth in both freight and passenger numbers passing through the port of La Gomera's capital San Sebastian de La Gomera. Freight handling has increased by 11,5% and passenger numbers were 6% more than during the same period last year. It is expected that more than 1,3 million passengers will have passed through the port by the end of 2017. What isn't clear from these figures is whether passengers travelling to and from the island of La Palma are counted or not. They do spend time in the port of La Gomera in large numbers and are included in the docking ferries' passenger numbers, but they don't disembark during the brief stopover.

Port terminal to be finished soon

Above plans for the landscaping and finishing of the recently constructed harbour terminal in the port of Vueltas in Valle Gran Rey were published by the government of the Canary Islands. The terminal will be connected to all services and car parking, a taxi rank and bus stop will be provided. Green areas and trees to provide shade and shelter will be planted and public lighting with solar panels will be installed. The estimated cost for these improvements is close to 214.000 Euros and the works will take three months to complete. Let's hope they didn't forget public toilets.

The terminal in its present state

Further harbour improvements

The terminal building in Vueltas, Valle Gran Rey

The recently constructed terminal building in the outer harbour of Vueltas, Valle Gran Rey, is to be brought into service soon, according to the island's president Casimiro Curbelo. He announced a further investment of 310.000 Euros for the harbour yesterday and the terminal will get the necessary connections to services as well as landscaping and furnishings. 

Lets hope there will be public toilets open at all times as currently there are none in the whole Valle Gran Rey area which serves a population of around 5.000 and is the main tourist attraction of La Gomera. Public toilet facilities are extremely scarce in La Gomera in general and should be provided a.s.a.p. to avoid further unhygienic 'wild toilets'.

Passenger numbers increase

The port of San Sebastian de La Gomera

The port of San Sebastian de La Gomera recorded 1,3 million passenger movements in 2016, an increase of 6,6 %, while total traffic figures were up by 4 %. Almost 90.000 of the passengers representing an 15,8 % increase came aboard cruise ships during 74 visits by such vessels.

The movement of goods and merchandise through the port showed a 4,8 % higher number than in 2015 with over 150.000 tons processed through the port's facilities while the amount of bulk materials and liquids increased by 6,3 % last year, representing an additional 25.000 tons.

And just to bore you stiff with more statistics, La Gomera's main port handled a total of 2.870 vessels berthing there last year. 

All impressive figures for a small island with a population of just 20.000 !

Passenger terminal nearing completion

Image taken a couple of weeks ago by H.P.

The new passenger terminal in the port of Vueltas in Valle Gran Rey is nearing completion and the facility should be officially opened just in time for the busy winter season. 
All that's missing now is some solid news regarding the reopening of the sorely missed ferry connection...

Construction of terminal progressing

The construction of the new passenger terminal building in the port of Vueltas in Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera is making good progress. The terminal will cost nearly 400.000 Euros and should be finished by summer. I have been asked several times if the construction of this building would point to the reopening of the ferry line between Valle Gran Rey and San Sebastian de La Gomera (etc.), but sadly this is not the case. The terminal building is a separate entity even if it should facilitate passengers in case of a re-establishment of the ferry connection. There is still no news concerning the ferry line and personally I am a bit pessimistic about the prospects at this stage. 

The terminal is a step in the right direction, however, and it is also intended to make the now mostly empty exterior harbour more attractive to the increasingly popular cruise ship and yacht traffic. Visiting yachts have to pay the same harbour dues here as in other ports in the Canaries, but do not find the same facilities included.

In any case Vueltas and Valle Gran Rey will finally receive the first (and badly needed) public toilets. Below you can see what the finished project should look like:

Passenger terminal planned for port

The planned terminal building  (Image source: eltambor.es)

The director responsible for infrastructure of the Ports Authority of the Canaries (Puertos de Canarias) has unveiled the design for a planned passenger terminal building for the port of Valle Gran Rey in the outer harbour of Vueltas. The large 392 sqm terminal is to be built and finished next year at a projected cost of 444.000 Euros. 

The modern concrete building will house a cafe/cafeteria, public toilets, offices, waiting areas and more. It will serve the travellers on the expectedly reopening ferry connection between V.G.R., P. Santiago, San Sebastian and Tenerife and will also provide facilities for the anticipated increase in visitors from cruise ships visiting the port as well a the general public visiting the popular harbour area.

It is expected that the contracts for building the terminal will go to tender soon and will be adjudicated before the end of this year.

Approximate location of planned facility (red arrow)

Major Revamp for the Port of San Sebastian

The area around the terminal building in the harbour of San Sebastian de La Gomera is to be remodelled and improved. San Sebastian port handles about 1,2 million passengers per annum and parking in the harbour has been notoriously difficult for many years. The planned new and much larger car parks should make it easier for travellers and those picking up passengers, buying tickets as well as for the hire cars and taxis. Ample parking for buses and heavy goods vehicles, trucks and containers will also be provided. Let's just hope the new car parks will remain free of charge, but a 'hut to control parking' will be constructed which doesn't bode well for free parking. 

Planned redevelopment (click to enlarge)

The embarkation areas for cars intending to travel on the ferries will also be redesigned as will be the final stretch of the port access road. Even traffic lights have been mentioned - these would be the first of their kind here, as La Gomera has been delightfully free of traffic lights up to now. Some trees and green areas are also included in the plans and a general tidy-up of the whole area. 

The building phase is to take just eight months and the whole project is to cost 1,7 million Euros. Another 2,9 million Euros is to be invested in the extension of the pier by 38 metres to accommodate more and even larger cruise ships next season. The number of cruise ship passengers visiting San Sebastian de La Gomera has doubled during the current season from 40.000 last season to over 80.000 and La Gomera is receiving the highest ratings by cruise ship passengers. Work on the pier extension which will also include works on the marina, beach and existing pier is to begin shortly with all the paperwork in place and contractors appointed already.

Let's hope that the derelict-looking outer harbour of Valle Gran Rey will be next in line for an upgrade. Can we have a piece of that cake, pleeeeease ?

The port of San Sebastian de La Gomera seen from the marina

La Gomera popular cruise ship destination

Aida Vita approaching La Gomera at sunrise yesterday

La Gomera is becoming increasingly popular as a destination for cruise ships and for the current season about 85 cruise liners have included the island in their itineraries.  La Gomera has received the highest marks by passengers  over the past couple of years and the same was achieved for the shore excursions. The photos were taken yesterday when the Aida Vita paid us a visit. 

Exploring La Gomera's beauty (left: Roque Agando)

Sea Cloud coming to La Gomera

More cruise ships than last year are expected to dock in various ports around the Canary Islands this winter and La Gomera is becoming ever more popular as a port of call every year. The pier of the island's capital San Sebastian is just now being extended yet again to accommodate the larger cruise ships. Excusions on La Gomera were ranked top by passengers of several cruise lines in the past couple of years. The elegant tall ships 'Sea Cloud I + II will be calling again this winter, too, as USA Today has reported:

Photo: Sea Cloud Cruises

''Sea Cloud Cruises is offering something unusual for sailing fans this fall as its two sailingships travel in tandem for several days. The Hamburg-based line says the 65-passenger Sea Cloud and 94-passenger Sea Cloud II will sail together around the Canary Islands starting on Nov. 20 in a meet-up "designed so that sails and sailing are at the forefront."

The two vessels will meet in Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands and sail together from Tenerife to La Gomera and El Hierro. Passengers on each of the ships will have the chance to tour the other vessel during an "open house" party planned for Nov. 21 in Tenerife. To be part of the tandem sailing, sailing fans need to sign up for the Nov. 17 sailing of the Sea Cloud II from Las Palmas to Gran Canaria (fares start at 4,095 per person) or the Nov. 19 sailing of the Sea Cloud from Las Palmas to Gran Canaria (fares start at $4,395 per person).

Built for American cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1931, the Sea Cloud is among the most famous sailing ships afloat and is often billed as the world's most luxurious tall ship. It features authentic, four-masted rigging and lovely restored interiors that evoke a bygone era.''