Arrival of megayachts in Malaga port doubles in one year
The marina at quays 1 and 2 has had to move berths to other port areas, even to other municipalities due to insufficient space
Kaos, Dragonfly, Yas, Tatoosh: these are the names of some of the largest private yachts in the world, which have recently called at the port of Malaga. IGY Málaga Marina (the marina on quay 1 (Muelle Uno) and part of 2) has been constantly occupied in recent months. As a committed reporter on yacht movements in Malaga, SUR has gained access to the facility's figures.
From the end of the summer to date, the port has reached "exceptional levels" of activity, according to data provided by the concessionary company. Occupancy has reached 100% practically throughout the autumn. "Due to this circumstance, mooring space has been made available on other commercial docks in the port," the report states.
Even then has it not been possible to satisfy all requests. "The demand has been such that, at certain times, we have had to divert boats, which were anchored waiting to access IGY Málaga Marina, to other ports due to the lack of available space," sources state. Despite the challenge, this situation is a symptom "of the operational strength and the strategic role" that the Malaga marina plays.
Bigger and bigger yachts
In addition to higher demand, the yachts so far this season have been increasingly larger in size. There has been an increase of 74% in average lengths, while the cumulative total length has also increased by 22%.
'Malaga is now a key port and is well positioned on the map for owners and captains, who previously always went to Palma and Barcelona'
Operational growth is even more evident in the high value segment (yachts of 50 metres or more), which is where the greatest progress is concentrated. Stays of yachts of more than 50 metres are up 156%. Those of more than 80 metres have increased four times more; and those of more than 100 metres have doubled. "This confirms much stronger attraction of large yachts, precisely the most strategic in terms of economic impact and positioning for the port of Malaga."
Commercial director of the Malaga megayacht marina Sasha Romashova said: "This autumn, we are experiencing an incredible level of activity, reaching 100% occupancy for several weeks and demand is so high that we have had to use the ADL dock (on the Levante) to accommodate boats. This facility is concessioned on an ad hoc basis whenever piers 1 and 2 fill up, which happens more and more frequently."
She cited other factors that illustrate this growth, such as the fact that some yachts have remained at anchor, waiting for space, while others have had to be redirected to other marinas, such as that of Gibraltar. "All this clearly reflects that Malaga is now a key port for traffic in Andalucía," Romashova stated, adding that more and more captains are now opting for Malaga when, in the past, they would usually choose Palma or Barcelona.
Much-needed expansion
Although Romashova did not mention a possible expansion of the marina, she did state that the lack of space is evident and the marina "has become too small, not only because of the increase in the number of vessels but also in the lengths of those coming in".
As for the forecasts for the winter, the representative of the concessionary company has said that occupancy is expected to drop in December and January, as that is when most vessels move to the Caribbean. However, even during this period, occupancy will also increase compared to previous years.
