Cruise ships are being ‘turned away’ from Portimão port, reportedly due to a lack of much-needed river dredging and a long-overdue expansion.
National tabloid Correio da Manhã reports that 57 cruise ships stopped over in Portimão last year, bringing 22,861 passengers with them. Compared to 2018, the town welcomed nine fewer cruise ships. This year, the number is expected to drop even further to 54.
The tabloid says this is due to a lack of river dredging which would allow ships that are 215 metres-long and longer to dock at Portimão port. The delays that have halted the expansion of the port are also to blame, reports CM.
These works would cost around €17.5 million and would allow ships up to 275 metres-long to stop over in Portimão.
“This is an investment not only for Portimão but for the Algarve,” said Portimão Mayor Isilda Gomes, adding that a cruise director told her that his company would include Portimão as a stopover as soon as the works were completed.
The port project is still waiting an environmental thumbs-up. In fact, promises were made that the works would begin at the start of 2019 (click here).
