The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) organises the first edition of the Port of Palma Open Day
It will take place on Saturday 30 September in collaboration with the port community
Palma
25/09/2023
The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is organising the first edition of the Port of Palma Open Day on Saturday 30 September, with a series of free activities for all ages. Numerous port community members have been heavily involved in this event, and other ports are planning to host it in the future.
Activities that will be offered by the APB and up to 27 collaborating companies and institutions this coming Saturday, in the morning and afternoon, include access to port areas normally closed to the public, such as the shipyards or the fishing dock, excursions in pleasure boats, group and nautical sports, environmental and marine knot workshops, falconry exhibitions, documentary films on marine sustainability, storytelling, and many more. All the information has been compiled on the Viu el Port website!
The event, under the title Port & Festa-Viu el port! Is an initiative arising from a desire to strengthen the relationship between the APB and the city, to raise awareness of the importance of port activities and to bring the port and its facilities closer to the public. Javier Sanz, president of the APB, sees it as an extraordinary opportunity to highlight how important the ports are for the islands and to promote the APB's image as the managing body of the ports serving the community.
Various venues
The Open Day has several locations and includes activities open to the public, all of which are free of charge. Most of the activities will take place at the Muelle Viejo quay, which will be the focal point of the event. For the most part, activities will take place in the morning from 11am to 2pm, although both the Muelle Viejo quay and the Muelle de Golondrinas quay will also have activities in the afternoon until the evening.
The Open Day will be inaugurated at 12:45pm at the Muelle Viejo quay by Javier Sanz, APB's President, and Jaime Martínez, the Mayor of Palma. In the morning, there will be activities for the youngest visitors, such as storytelling, sports activities, 360° videos of the APB ports, regional dance exhibitions, etc. In the evening, the closing ceremony of the Wipe Out Festival 2023: surfing and sustainability in Palma will take place, with live music and short films related to surfing, sustainability, and marine environment preservation.
The APB's institutional headquarters, the Port Centre, will host talks related to the New Seafront Promenade project, job opportunities in the nautical world and family-friendly environmental workshops. The Palma Fire Brigade and the Local Police will set up a space on camino de la Escollera to showcase their vehicles and teach children how to drive on a road safety education circuit. STP will open its shipyard doors to the public and the Museu Marítim de Mallorca (Maritime Museum of Mallorca) will show the work done by the Council of Mallorca in Ses Voltes del Parc de la Mar to preserve and share its maritime heritage accumulated over the centuries and up to the present day.
The Balear fishing boat from the Mallorcan Council's mestres d'aixa workshop and the SOCIB vessel can be visited at the Lonja quay, where the Port Police will be showcasing its fleet of electric vehicles and raising awareness about the work carried out by APB staff. The San Pedro Fishermen's Guild will also open its Fishing Quay so that the public can have a closer look at its vessels.
In the San Telmo gardens, the RCNP is organising an activity workshop to give children an introduction to the exciting world of sailing, while the IME is organising Zumba and fitness sessions. Astilleros de Mallorca is organising guided tours of its facilities at Contramuelle-Mollet.
Daytime and evening activities
The Muelle de Golondrinas quay, together with the Muelle Viejo quay, is another place where the activities will extend into the evening. While in the morning you can take a ride on a pleasure boat and María Bimbolles will entertain the little ones with her show, at midday there will be a modern dance exhibition by the Show Academia J&S Música dance school. At night, the space will become a stage dedicated to live music by Radio Mallorca - Cadena SER.
Club de Mar will be running introductory workshops on canoeing and maritime knot skills at the Ca'n Barbarà dock. Meanwhile, at the San Carlos Castle, in addition to having its military museum open, there will be recreational activities such as workshops on painting miniature soldiers, and an exhibition by Fundació Natura Parc on the Port of Palma's falconry service.
Finally, the third-oldest lighthouse in the world in operation, the Portopí lighthouse, is open to both experts and those unfamiliar with the fascinating world of lighthouses, with guided tours of the Exhibition of Maritime Signals, featuring unique pieces preserved and restored by the APB.
Related links
