KEEPING BUSY

THE Port of Almeria is continually growing and increasing the number of cruise ships that dock in its port.

The stopovers programmed for this year exceed those of last year by a whopping 57.1 per cent and by 15.8 per cent of those of 2019, the year before the pandemic.

The pandemic left the port activity in dry dock in 2020 and a large part of 2021.

Eight tourist ships, of the nine that were planned, have already docked in the Almeria dock in the first half of the year.

This figure is 14.3 per cent more than last year; 3,000 passengers travelled on them, in addition to the corresponding crew.

This figure is 35 per cent higher than those recorded in the first half of 2022. The president of the Port Authority of Almeria, Rosario Soto, has highlighted the joint work with the Bahia Almeriport

Foundation and other administrations to promote Almeria as a cruise destination.

“We are focusing mainly on smaller cruise ships and luxury category, whose passengers disembark and choose to enjoy the varied gastronomic, cultural and scenic offer that Almeria has,” the president confirmed.

Over the next few days, the Wind Surf and Seabourn Sojourn cruise ships will make their third stopovers this year, respectively, in the Port of Almeria, after both were also the last to pass through the Ribera Quay recently.

Anna Ellis

THE maritime patrol that the Nijar Town Hall has deployed to ensure the safety of bathers and recreational boats will be operational until the end of the summer period.

The mayor, Jose Francisco Garrido, explained: “This is a pioneering initiative in Nijar that will provide service throughout the coastal strip of the municipality, with special attention to the urban beaches of San José, Las Negras, La Isleta and Agua Amarga.

“We are talking about a patrol in which around 10 Local