Barcelona Port will host its third annual open days event on 30 and 31 May, offering the public a rare chance to visit the historic Llobregat Lighthouse and other restricted areas.
The initiative, which started in 2024, has become a regular fixture, attracting over 15,000 attendees in 2025. This year's programme includes a land visit to the Llobregat Lighthouse, an infrastructure usually difficult for the public to access due to its location within port facilities.
José Alberto Carbonell, president of Barcelona Port, and David Pino, director of Port Vell, announced the lighthouse visit during the presentation of the open days. Other activities include a 'ship dance' featuring pilot and mooring vessels, where tugboats will coordinate movements to music with water salutes. The 10th edition of the 'KM Against Cancer Deichmann' race will also take place on 31 May, with two and five-kilometre routes through Port Vell.
In total, the Port has made 5,000 guided land and sea visits available, alongside family activities and new proposals. Bookings for these visits open on 19 May, with a €1 contribution going to the Cram Foundation and Stella Maris. Carbonell stated that this year's edition consolidates the event, incorporating new activities and establishing "new partnerships". The goal is to exceed last year's 15,000 visitors.
Exploring the Llobregat Lighthouse
Pino thanked the entities, associations, and merchants whose interest in participating in the event grows each year. The open days will also feature parallel activities organised with entities, companies, and associations linked to the Port and the city. These include the 'Vora el Mar' day at the World Trade Centre, offering musical performances, children's activities, and family workshops. Additionally, the 'Navega el Port' activity, promoted by the Barcelona Nautical Capital Foundation, will provide demonstrative and participatory outings on light vessels to show sailing.
For the first time, the open days will include land visits to the Llobregat Lighthouse, an installation that usually has restricted access. This historic lighthouse in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat was built in 1852 when the municipality had a coastline and beach. It guided ships around the mouth of the Llobregat river and Barcelona Port.
In 1920, a large part of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat was annexed by Barcelona to build a free port, which eventually became the Zona Franca and the current port facilities. This meant the historic lighthouse became part of Barcelona. The structure is protected as a local cultural asset, consisting of five bodies that decrease in size with height, combining circular, square, and octagonal plans. The entire construction reaches 31 metres high.
Port Tours and Historical Routes
Originally, the lighthouse, also known as the 'Torre de Cap del Riu', was a defence tower built in 1566. This tower was destroyed during the Reapers' War and the War of the Spanish Succession. The Llobregat Lighthouse was designed in 1845, using the remains of the old defence tower, and was first lit on 1 March 1852.
Land visits by coach will allow visitors to discover the commercial port through a tour of the restricted access area, offering a close look at the infrastructure's activity. Visitors can choose from three different itineraries: a visit including entry to the Hutchison Ports BEST container terminal, another with access to APM Terminals Barcelona, and the new option of visiting the Llobregat Lighthouse, a space usually inaccessible to the public.
Maritime visits aboard Las Golondrinas will again tour the Port from the sea. During a 90-minute guided tour, participants can navigate the port facilities and observe the activity that makes Barcelona Port the main logistics hub of the Mediterranean. The historical walking routes, which are theatrical, will also be programmed again. This route combines heritage, port activity, and citizen narrative to explain the Port's historical evolution and its relationship with Barcelona. The route will start at the Portal de la Pau building, opposite the Columbus statue, and end at Palau de Mar, passing through emblematic spaces such as Moll de la Fusta and the monument to Joan Salvat-Papasseit.
All activities will be conducted in Catalan and will have adapted services for people with reduced mobility, except for the visit to the Llobregat Lighthouse. Throughout the open weekend, an information point will be located in Plaça del Portal de la Pau, where visitors can get general information about all activities.
