Barcelona Port plans to launch a major design competition by the end of the year for a new floating extension of Las Ramblas. This project will create a direct link over the sea from Portal de la Pau to the World Trade Centre, according to port officials. The new promenade will offer more than just a pathway, incorporating architectural features and functional uses, including moorings for nautical excursion boats.
Officials describe the project as complex. The design must create an attractive public space, similar to the existing Rambla de Mar that connects Colón to Maremagnum. It also needs to integrate nautical activities efficiently, allowing boats to dock comfortably. One idea under consideration is moving the 'Golondrinas' tourist boats closer to the Moll de Barcelona, freeing up the Colón area.
Opening Up the Waterfront
The Moll de Drassanes, previously a fenced-off waiting area for cars boarding ferries, opened to the public in summer 2024. This created a direct line from Las Ramblas to the sea. The next step is extending this path over the water to the Moll de Barcelona, which itself saw a new 600-metre waterside route open last spring. The port plans to introduce new, more accessible nautical activities in this area, aiming to attract local residents.
The Blau Marí music festival, holding its first edition this summer on a stage over the sea at Moll de Barcelona, is part of this effort to invite citizens to new leisure activities. This location was once primarily for ferries and cruise ships, with up to 340 boats docking there just over three years ago. The Moll de Drassanes is now a 4,300 m² open plaza.
Strategic Port Vell Transformation
The opening of Port Vell to the city followed the end of concessions and the relocation of ferry and cruise terminals to Moll Adossat in 2023. This change moved cruise embarkation and disembarkation away from the city centre, addressing concerns about Las Ramblas being dominated by mass tourism. By 2026, the few remaining ships at the Moll de Barcelona's South terminal will cease operations, completely clearing these spaces.
These developments align with the Port Vell Strategic Plan 2025-2030, which focuses on making the area “more local, for walking, learning to sail or row,” as explained by director David Pino during the plan's presentation. The Portal de la Pau building, the port's former institutional headquarters, has been rehabilitated as the Port Center. It will soon open to the public as a museum, educational, and outreach space.
Connecting Ciutat Vella to the Sea
Further changes are underway across Port Vell. The Moll de Pescadors, with a promenade leading to the Torre del Rellotge and the new fish market, opened to the public last spring. Beyond the Rambla extension, a new circular route is being planned from this point, through a reformed Moll de la Fusta, towards Moll d'Espanya, and back via the Rambla del Mar.
At Moll d'Espanya, the Liceu Mar will be built, and the steep access slope from Plaça del Ictineo will be removed. Vehicle traffic will be moved underground, creating a continuous waterside path. These projects collectively represent a complete reinvention of the Port Vell experience, aiming to better integrate it with the rest of the city and further open the Ciutat Vella district to the sea.
