This Saturday, Palma's port will hold its Open Doors Day

The Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) will hold the first edition of the Open Doors Day in the Port of Palma, an event that has attracted a large representation of the port community and which is planned to be repeated in other ports in the future.

This initiative, entitled "Port & Festa-Viu el port!", aims to strengthen the links between the APB and the city, as well as to raise awareness of the importance of port activities and bring the port facilities closer to the public. Javier Sanz, president of the APB, stressed the importance of the ports for the islands and the role of the APB as manager of the ports of general interest.

The day will feature multiple free activities for all ages and tastes, some of which offer access to port areas usually closed to the public. Highlights of the activities include swallow trips, group water sports, environmental and marine knot workshops, falconry exhibitions, screenings of documentary films related to marine sustainability, storytelling and much more. A total of 27 collaborating companies and institutions joined forces with the APB to make this event possible.

The day will take place in several locations, with activities both in the morning and in the afternoon. The Muelle Viejo (Old Quay) will be the epicentre of the day, where numerous activities will be held throughout the day. The inauguration will be led by Javier Sanz, president of the APB, and Jaime Martínez, mayor of Palma. The programme includes activities for children, sports, video presentations, regional dance exhibitions and more. In the evening, the closing ceremony of the Wipe Out Festival 2023, an event related to surfing and sustainability in Palma, will be held, with live music and screenings of themed short films.

The Port Centre, the institutional headquarters of the APB, will host talks on projects such as the New Promenade, employment opportunities in the nautical field and environmental workshops for families. In addition, the Palma Fire Brigade and the Local Police will be showing off their vehicles and providing road safety education for youngsters.

Another point of interest was the Lonja Pier, where you can visit the Balearic fishing boat of the Consell de Mallorca's mestres d'aixa workshop and the SOCIB ship. The Port Police will show their fleet of electric vehicles and explain their responsibilities. The San Pedro Fishermen's Guild will open the doors of the Fishing Dock so that the public can get up close and personal with the fishing boats.

In the San Telmo gardens, the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP) organizes sailing initiation activities for the youngest, while the Palma Municipal Sports Institute (IME) offers Zumba and functional training sessions. At the Contramuelle-Mollet, Astilleros de Mallorca, guided tours of its facilities will be carried out.

The Muelle de Golondrinas will be another place with activities that extend into the night. In addition to swallow rides and entertainment for children, there will be modern dance exhibitions and live music will be programmed at night, by Radio Mallorca – Cadena SER.

Finally, the Portopí Lighthouse, the third oldest operating lighthouse in the world, offers guided tours of its Maritime Signals Exhibition, where unique pieces preserved and restored by the APB are exhibited, providing an educational experience on the history of navigation.