Juan Francisco Herrera steps down after three decades leading the capital's port

“The pier of Puerto del Rosario is the island’s thermometer for supplies. Everything, even cement, comes through it.”
These are the words of Juan Francisco Herrera, who has just taken early retirement after more than thirty years of service with the Port Authority.

Born in 1960 in Puerto Lajas, he started working at the age of 20. After marrying very young, he held a series of jobs until, in 1991, he passed the competitive exam to become a dock‑warden.

“I started on 15 January 1991. When I began there were only six workers for the whole pier,” he recalls.

From those early days of manual loading and unloading, through traffic control on a still‑small dock, to today’s operations with 33‑metre cranes and more than 1,200 ship calls a year, Juan Francisco has witnessed the port’s evolution firsthand.

“Everything comes in here: food, construction materials, clothing… everything we have in Fuerteventura that isn’t manufactured locally arrives by sea,” he explains, adding that tourists also depend on the port.

Container Loading

A Port That Grew Big

In the 1990s, the main vessels were Transmediterránea ships linking Lanzarote and Las Palmas, plus tomato carriers and small container ships.

Today the picture is completely different. Cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers, cargo vessels and oil tankers now share a space that the port officials admit has become cramped.

“This morning we’re already at the 1,200th ship that has docked for loading and unloading since January,” he notes.

Key changes over the years

• Staff: From six employees handling all tasks (administration, loading, unloading) to a modern team:
  • Office staff: 3 people
  • Port Police: 28 officers
  • Specialized roles: a maintenance chief, an electricity chief, etc.
• Infrastructure: Introduction of 33‑metre cranes and a dramatic increase in annual ship calls.

Challenges and Immediate Future

Juan Francisco leaves with one unresolved issue that causes great discomfort for local residents in the early hours: the noise from the Armas vessel around 5 a.m., which generates most of the complaints from nearby neighbours. He says the problem “must be solved with shore‑based electricity, because the Armas is an old ship and its transformers aren’t prepared.”

He is hopeful that, following the recent agreement between the shipping line and Baleària, the fleet will be modernised and the noise will disappear.

The port’s future also hinges on a newly‑started pier extension that will add 300 metres to the tip, allowing two cruise ships to berth simultaneously. The expansion will:

• Free up space
• Improve safety
• Prevent oil tankers from blocking operations for days

The works will also enhance passenger safety, as cruise travelers will no longer have to pass beneath the 30‑year‑old cranes that dominate the current layout.

The Capital Pier: A Whole World to Discover

After more than three decades at the port—two of them as operations manager—he admits it is hard to leave the pier behind.

“Especially the colleagues, the hands‑on staff, this is a whole world, day‑to‑day life here with many people who know how tough the job is,” says the affable Majorero, visibly moved.

Former coworkers describe him as the person they trusted across all levels, the one who kept the port running with precision. They highlight his love and dedication to the port, his commitment, generosity, and responsibility, noting that “his work became a model for everyone.”

“He was always ready to lend a hand, with a kind word and a positive attitude that fostered camaraderie and respect,” they add, emphasizing not only his competence but also his humanity.

Juan Francisco departs confident that he has been an essential part of the infrastructure that sustains island life.

“There is an entire world inside these walls, and the rest of us don’t even know it,” he concludes, urging everyone to take a closer look and invest in one of Fuerteventura’s most vital assets.