Fuerteventura PP Voices Concern Over Corralejo Port’s Expansion Plans
José Vicente Calero: “We don’t know whether the governing group is for or against it.”
The Popular Party (PP) of Fuerteventura is voicing its worry about the future of Corralejo port, whose expansion remains nowhere in sight. While the neighboring port of Playa Blanca in Lanzarote boasts spacious, 21st‑century facilities, the port in northern Fuerteventura continues to suffer from outdated infrastructure, with saturated berths that struggle meet the demands of shipping lines and the daily needs of passengers using the terminal.
As regional deputy Fernando Enseñat (PP, Fuerteventura) explains, “While we hear that Playa Blanca is preparing to receive cruise ships next year, in Corralejo we are still debating how the expansion should look, and of course we keep losing opportunities.”
He conveyed this to the Canary Islands Government’s Minister of Public Works, Transport and Housing during the latest parliamentary committee, urging him to “be brave and carry out the Corralejo port expansion project,” because it would “create employment opportunities today and in the future for all residents of La Oliva.”
PP spokesperson in the La Oliva City Council, José Vicente Calero, adds that locals are completely unaware of the governing coalition’s stance on the Corralejo expansion. “We don’t know if they are for or against it, whether they prefer to a new project or have already sent a modification to the Canary Government. They keep complete silence on the matter, and when we asked in plenary sessions they never expressed the coalition’s opinion. We want to know the position of the La Oliva City Council, not personal opinions.”
Calero also points out that Corralejo, the busiest passenger port in the Canary Islands and the most profitable in the Ports of the Canary Islands network, suffers from governmental neglect: docking problems, a closed café that cannot serve the hundreds of tourists arriving by sea, and various other defects. “The patchwork that Ports of the Canary Islands wants to do with a tender under one million euros—to fix lighting, fencing, and similar deficiencies—is insufficient given the port’s current needs.” The municipal spokesperson insists that “not only because it is one of the most profitable ports, but also because of the high passenger traffic it handles today, Ports of the Canary Islands should devote more effort to improving Corralejo’s dock.”
It is, all, the maritime gateway to the municipality of La Oliva—a tourist destination that cannot afford to project an image of abandonment to the visitors arriving by sea, Calero concludes.