The Port of Las Palmas officially inaugurated its new Cruise Terminal this Thursday, a strategic infrastructure destined to mark a turning point in the port's international projection and in the position of the Canary Islands within the global cruise industry.
The event was attended by the president of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, Beatriz Calzada; the director, Francisco Javier Trujillo; the president of State Ports, Gustavo Santana; the president and CEO of Global Ports Holding, Mehmet Kutman; the regional director of West Med for Global Ports, Francesc Grau; the CEO of SEPCAN, Sergio Socas; the mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Carolina Darias; the president of the Gran Canaria Island Council, Antonio Morales; and the Minister of Public Works, Housing and Mobility of the Government of the Canary Islands, Pablo Rodríguez; on a day that symbolizes the culmination of one of the most important projects for the port system of the province in recent years.
With this new infrastructure, managed by Global Ports Canary Island, the Port of Las Palmas reinforces its position as a leading hub in the Mid-Atlantic and consolidates its firm commitment to modernization, sustainability, and improving the cruise passenger experience. The terminal enters service at a particularly favorable time for the sector, after the ports of the Las Palmas Port Authority closed 2025 having surpassed 2 million cruise passengers for the first time, with a total of 2.1 million cruise passengers and a market share of 44.3%, in a record year for the entire port system.
Beatriz Calzada emphasized that “the official opening of this terminal represents much more than the launch of a new infrastructure. It confirms that the Port of Las Palmas is ready to continue growing, offering top-quality services and responding to the trust that major international shipping companies place in our port and in the Canary Islands as a destination every year.”.
He added that “this terminal is also intended to be a space open to the public. We want it to be a meeting point that projects a modern image of the Canary Islands and, in addition to improving the cruise passenger experience, contributes to further integrating the port into the social and cultural life of the island.”.
For his part, Mehmet Kutman, President and CEO of Global Ports Holding, stated: “We firmly believe in the long-term potential of the Canary Islands as one of the leading cruise destinations in the Atlantic. The Port of Las Palmas occupies a strategic position within global cruise itineraries, and this new terminal represents an important step in further strengthening the destination's role in the international cruise market. Through our collaboration with the Port Authority of Las Palmas and our local partner SEPCAN, we share a common vision to develop modern, future-proof port infrastructure that supports cruise line operations, enhances the passenger experience, and contributes to the sustainable growth of the destination.”.
The president of Puertos del Estado, Gustavo Santana, highlighted that “this new cruise terminal at Las Palmas Cruise Port is part of the commitment of Puertos del Estado and the state-owned port system to world-class port infrastructure and services, but also to sustainability and innovation, and demonstrates the importance of collaboration to continue building the future of our ports.”.
The sustained confidence of the main companies in the sector, together with the progressive incorporation of new shipping lines and new ports of call, has helped to consolidate the Port of Las Palmas as one of the major hubs of cruise tourism in Europe.
The new, state-of-the-art cruise terminal is the largest in Europe and will transform the cruise passenger experience. It represents a total investment of over €38 million, of which €34 million was contributed by Global Ports Canary Islands, the concessionaire, and €6.3 million by the Port Authority of Las Palmas. The building has 14,000 square meters spread over two floors, with three boarding bridges and the capacity to handle up to four ships simultaneously, ensuring efficient operations for both transit and homeport cruises. In addition to these facilities, there is a 17,800-square-meter outdoor esplanade with pedestrian areas, landscaped gardens, and a restored palm grove that serves as an access point to the boulevard, further integrating the terminal with the city.
In total, the four berths span 1,587 linear meters with a draft of 11 meters, expanding the infrastructure's capacity to handle large operations and meet the anticipated growth in cruise traffic in the coming years. The terminal also includes restaurants, comfortable waiting areas, retail spaces, and universal accessibility features, completing an offering designed to position the Port of Las Palmas among the most modern and efficient facilities in the sector.
The project has been developed following environmental and innovative criteria, with the incorporation of recycled materials, energy efficiency systems, state-of-the-art technologies and environmentally friendly solutions, in line with the sustainability commitment that guides the strategy of the Port Authority of Las Palmas and Global Ports Canary Islands.
The official opening of this terminal marks the culmination of a strategic project that positions the Port of Las Palmas among Europe's leading cruise ports. This new, modern, efficient infrastructure, adapted to the sector's evolving needs, enhances the passenger experience and strengthens the Canary Islands' competitiveness in the international cruise market, reinforcing the archipelago's position on international routes and generating opportunities for economic, tourism, and port development for the Canary Islands.
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