PP urges “courage” to expand Corralejo port
While Playa Blanca prepares to receive cruise ships next year, the Corralejo pier has a closed café and docking problems, claim PP members, accusing Puertos Canarios of inaction and the La Oliva government of lacking a clear stance.
The Popular Party (PP) of Fuerteventura has voiced deep concern over the state of the Corralejo port and the stalled expansion plans. In a press release the party highlighted that the northern Majorcan port—the busiest passenger hub in the Canary Islands and one of the most profitable in the Ports of the Canary Islands network—still suffers from structural deficiencies, saturated berths and deteriorating services.
Regional PP deputy for Fuerteventura Fernando Enseñat told the latest parliamentary commission:
“While we hear the announcement that the port of Playa Blanca is preparing to receive cruise ships next year, in Corralejo we are still debating how its expansion should be and, of course, we continue losing opportunities.”
During a visit to the port, José Vicente Calero and Enseñat reiterated their demands. Enseñat appealed directly to the Canary Islands Government’s Councillor for Public Works, Transport and Housing, urging him to “be brave and face the execution of the Corralejo port expansion project,” arguing that the development “will generate employment opportunities today and in the future for all residents of La Oliva.”
Enseñat’s stance puts him at odds with Pablo Rodríguez, the government councillor who recently dismissed the execution of the so‑called “macro‑project” for the pier.
Local Government Silence
PP spokesperson in the La Oliva City Council, José Vicente Calero, claimed that residents are left in the dark about the local governing group’s position:
“We don’t know if they are for or against, if they prefer to promote a new project or if they have conveyed any modification to the Canary Government. They keep complete silence on this matter and, despite the questions we have asked in plenary session, they have never expressed the governing group’s opinion. We want to know the position of the La Oliva City Council, not personal opinions.”
Calero also pointed out the abandoned state of port services, noting docking problems, a closed café that cannot serve the hundreds of tourists arriving by sea, and various other defects. He criticised the tender launched by Puertos Canarios—under €1 million—to address issues such as lighting and fencing, calling it “insufficient given all the needs the port currently has.”
He concluded:
“Not only because it is one of the most profitable ports, but because of the high passenger traffic today, Puertos Canarios should devote more effort to improving the Corralejo pier. It is the sea entrance to the municipality of La Oliva, and we cannot allow the image projected to tourists arriving by this route to be one of abandonment.”
In the Same Parliamentary Debate
The PP’s complaints follow a recent parliamentary session where Coalición Canaria deputy Jana González Alonso highlighted the shortcomings of Puertos Canarios on the island. She urged the councillor to “plan the remodeling of the pier” with institutional consensus and environmental guarantees. González stressed that the project must obtain favourable environmental reports and called for speed in minor actions, such as the tender for the passenger‑terminal café, which remains pending.
González also warned that the pier requires “urgent improvements” in its operation and service conditions, and reiterated that any expansion should only proceed if it meets all environmental protection criteria and balances tourism with fishing activities. She emphasized that Corralejo port is a strategic infrastructure for the north of the island and one of the main maritime gateways to Fuerteventura.