New terminal and multi-storey car park planned for Los Cristianos port
The Ministry of Transport has announced plans to modernise the busy port of Los Cristianos in Tenerife, which include the construction of a new passenger terminal and two levels of additional parking.
The aim is to reduce congestion and improve the port’s role as a key link between Tenerife and the western islands of La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma.
The plans were revealed in response to a question from Senator Fabián Chinea of the Gomera Socialist Group (ASG), who has been pushing for long-overdue improvements to the port.
According to Chinea, the proposal includes demolishing the current terminal building, creating a new, modern facility, building a two-storey car park, and constructing an underground entrance to the port.
This new access route would remove a problematic left turn that currently slows traffic and causes safety issues at the entrance.
There is still no confirmed start date for the works, although Chinea says they are urgently needed.
Other projects are also in progress. The government has launched a tender to redesign the land-side area of the port with a budget of over €168,000, and it is also working to reclassify part of the port to add 416 square metres at the northern end of the dock.
These upgrades are part of a larger, long-running debate about the future of Los Cristianos as the main inter-island port.
A separate expansion project, either by building a new breakwater at the existing port or by constructing an entirely new port at Fonsalía, has yet to be decided. A report by the College of Civil Engineers in Santa Cruz de Tenerife concluded that both options would improve ferry links with the western islands, but each comes with pros and cons.
The issue has divided political parties. Coalición Canaria supports expanding the current port, while the Partido Popular favours the Fonsalía project. Both parties are currently in power in the Tenerife Cabildo and the Canary Islands government.
The issue has also sparked tensions between island leaders. The president of La Gomera, Casimiro Curbelo, recently announced he is preparing a protest for August to demand urgent action. His comments led to a public exchange with the president of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila.
Despite growing pressure, no joint meetings have yet taken place between the Port Authority, the Cabildos, the Spanish Government, or the local council in Arona.
Chinea stressed the importance of moving forward: “Los Cristianos cannot continue to be a bottleneck for inter-island transport. It’s time to take real action and turn this port into a modern, efficient hub that serves the people.”
Meanwhile, Curbelo has also called on the Canary Islands government to work with ferry companies to reorganise sailing schedules, which currently overlap and worsen congestion at the port.
Share:
