A project to expand Portugal’s Portimão Marina will create 30 new berths for superyachts, 12 of them for vessels up to 45 meters.
The expansion to the port infrastructure is estimated to cost between €12 million and €14 million and will be carried out within the original perimeter of the marina.
Works will include replacing the floating breakwater system with fixed pontoons at the marina entrance.
One breakwater will extend from the existing south jetty, while a new, extensive breakwater will be built on the north side.
The south breakwater will feature 12 berths for boats up to 20 metres, while the larger north breakwater will have 18 berths for boats up to 45 metres.
The project will allow the marina to berth superyachts – according to the Portimão Marina Safety, Innovation and Optimisation Project which has been presented to regional leaders.
There are currently no berths for superyachts in Portugal despite significant demand, the study states.
Nautical destination
The superyachts instead end up travelling to other marinas along the Mediterranean which have the capacity to welcome them.
“The creation of the Megayacht Project at Portimão Marina opens the door to the possibility of establishing a high-quality nautical destination, generating more direct and indirect jobs with the creation of new concierge services,” states the study. “Consequently, this adds more value to the local and regional economy, given that the potential clientele has significant purchasing power.”
The project also includes other works to improve the marina – currently the marina’s existing breakwaters have proven ineffective during storms, with damage occurring to marina infrastructures and moored boats. The problems have intensified over recent years.
João Machado da Silva, president of the board of directors of the Portimão Marina, explained that the project is born from the need to adapt the marina, to make it more resilient to a new pattern of storms, which he attributes to climate change.
