22 November, 2011

By VIVA Team

Marina for La Cala de Mijas

The new marina will be funded entirely by private investment

It was way back in 2006 that plans to build a marina in La Cala were first drawn up, and at last they’ve just been approved by the Junta de Andalucía, meaning that the municipality of Mijas can now join the towns of Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Málaga, Marbella, Estepona, Manilva and Sotogrande – all of whom have boasted their own yacht harbours for a good many years.

The new marina…

will be funded entirely by private investment – from initial viability studies to the ongoing management of the completed project – and several companies, both national and international, have already expressed their interest in the Mijas Costa scheme which will include 1,200 berths, plus shops, bars, restaurants and offices, as well as several amenities to be operated by the town hall, including a sailing school, tourist office and exhibition facilities.

According to Mijas town planning councillor, Manuel Navarro, the town hall already has in its possession a study undertaken by an eminent Madrid professor which supports the construction of a yacht harbour in the Las Farolas district, beyond La Cala’s marine protected area where human activity has been placed under some restrictions in the interest of conserving the natural environment, its surrounding waters and ecosystems.

Currently the 11 existing marinas in the province of Málaga together provide more than 4,500 berths, with around 3,000 boat owners still on the waiting list.

“What with the AVE high-speed train connecting Madrid and Málaga, and the second runway due to open at Málaga airport in the first six months of next year, the province must commit to nautical tourism,” says Ministry of Public Works spokesman, Enrique Benítez.

Meanwhile, Marbella town hall is still very optimistic that the construction of the €400 million Port Al-Thani project will begin early next year, and there are also plans – some almost certainly a very long way off – to extend the marinas at Benalmádena, Estepona and Fuengirola, as well as El Candado and San Andrés, both in Málaga city.