Port Ginesta

Written by Miquel Mallafré. Translation: Marco Benevento

Marinas

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So close to Barcelona

The extension of Port Ginesta allows to offer 40% more moorings in the first port located South West of Barcelona. The ability to welcome yachts of greater length is one of the strong points of this extension.

Port Ginesta is the closest port to Barcelona that sailors find when they come from the South. The port is located in the municipal district of Sitges, an internationally renowned town for its vibrant cultural and leisure life, but Sitges city centre is relatively far from the port, so that, in a colloquial way, it is usually said that Port Ginesta is the port of Castelldefels, another tourist village characterised for its long beach.
The construction of Port Ginesta in 1986 was greeted with enthusiasm by the Barcelona yachting enthusiasts and its metropolitan area. At that time in Barcelona only existed the Real Club Maritimo and Real Club Nautico. At that time, the Port Vell marina, or the Olympic Port did not exist, nor the Port Forum, of course. The 1038 moorings that Port Ginesta had initially turned it into the biggest port in Catalonia at the time and in addition it was also located right on the outskirts of Barcelona. After the extension completed during the summer of 2007 the total number of moorings is now of 1.442, which makes it the marina with the greatest number of moorings of the entire Iberian Peninsula, in a single installation.

Next to the park

Port Ginesta and the town of Sitges belong to the region of the Garraf. The name comes from a mountain massif whose maritime boundary forms considerable cliffs that extend precisely between Sitges and Port Ginesta. The special geographic features of these mountains, led to turn it into a Natural Park, with an approximate area of 10.000 hectares. The limestone composition of the site has created numerous abyss and caves, some of which go into the sea. An underground river that flows into the sea near here led to the creation of a farm which was cultivated here by Eusebio Güell, patron of the architect Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi designed on this farm a hunting lodge in 1882, which was not built, and in 1895 a winery, a housing complex and a chapel, that were built. The work of the great architect is clearly visible from the sea and is nowadays occupied by a restaurant. Few ports can be proud of being by a natural park and to have a work by Gaudi nearby.
In its initial conception the port was divided into two inner harbours. The Eastern one had seven jetties arranged as a comb that were coming from the shore quay, a second inner harbour to the West also had three jetties arranged in comb shape but in this case arising from the inner breakwater. Between them, a large central pier with the buildings housing the offices and services, as well as the fuel station and the bilge water collection. Of course, all the breakwater is used for all the yachts to moor stern to.
The land area is divided into two rows of buildings. One houses 29 industrial premises and the other one, closer to the sea, has 63 businesses, this second group of buildings, has streets and intermediate squares that provide a nice atmosphere. Between the two lines of buildings there is a large parking area.
During the summer of 2007 the new moorings were inaugurated. The extension has not changed the layout of the first moorings nor has altered the dynamics of the port, which has expanded westward, so that the new port entrance is only about 230 meters to the South-Southeast. Attached to the inner breakwater a new large central quay has been built, parallel to the coast, from which piers rise on both sides and the inner breakwater is now a little more to the west regarding the original one. Keeping in mind that the initial mooring surface was of 33.262 square metres for 1.038 boats, whereas the new 24.222 square metres of new moorings are intended for 404 yachts, so that the proportion of water surface destined for each mooring has increased considerably.
To protect the conditions of the Natural Park that are nearby, the new inner breakwater is separated from the coast and is not used as a mooring quay, but it has allowed to create a new beach that has generated spontaneously and a pedestrian trail along the cliffs, a work by the renowned landscape architect Bet Figueras. The expansion has come along with the construction of 22 new shops, in two independent buildings. The result of the whole is a very nice atmosphere that has often been used for filming television commercials and making fashion photo sessions.

Service Manual

Located at 41º 15,5’ N and 1º 55,5’ E, Port Ginesta has 1.442 moorings for yachts from 7 to 24 meters, all of them equipped with water and electricity points. 20 of these moorings are for 24 meters yachts, 23 are for yachts of 20 meters and 42 for yachts up to 18 meters. Larger units are frequently moored in the port, depending on the space available, such as Mercedes (30 meters), Sandvig (33 meters) or the schooner Adornate (45 meters). The port has a technical area with an esplanade of 6.500 square metres, also with water and electricity points to carry out the works, a covered shed of 1.300 square meters for construction and repairs, as well as a painting cabin with air extraction that admits vessels up to 20 meters long and 8 wide. The technical area is equipped with a 70 tons travelift, a 6 ton crane, another one of a ton and two mobile carts of 7 and 8 tons respectively.
Port Ginesta is one of the Spanish ports which is at the fore front in the incorporation of environmental measures in the field of yachting, in areas such as selective waste collection, recycling of waste material, green points, emptying of septic tanks and bilges, as well as a network for the collection of mud from the dry dock so that they are not dumped into the sea. The warm water of the showers and the power of the beacon lights is generated by solar panels and the staff has two electric vehicles for the gardening and the cleaning services. The port complies with the ISO 14.001 and EMAS European regulations.
The port has 1.200 parking spaces, a dry marina, 80 apartments and 114 shops and industrial premises, with bars, restaurants, supermarket, workshops, laundry and an great marine offer that includes the headquarters of several importer companies of different exclusive makes for Spain or for the entire Iberian Peninsula, such as Catamaran Centre (Alliaura Marine, Feeling, J Europe, Privilege, Transcat), Marina Port Ginesta (Sealine, Sessa, Cerri) or Marivent Yachts (Abbati, Fjord, Franchini, Grand Azur Primatist, Toy). The technical companies in the port can undertake almost all of the repairs and maintenance works to be carried out on a boat, from fibre glass to wood, from electronics or the engines repair. The fuel station is automatic and is available 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
 

Port Ginesta. PO Box 229. 08860 Castelldefels. Tel: 93 664 36 61 Fax: 93 665 01 66 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - www.portginesta.com <<