An Insight into the Spanish Superyacht Hub of Port Denia

‘We use the marina for all kinds of work including conducting a variety of refits,’ comments General Manager Albert, as we ask about the most notable features of Port Denia’s technical marina, ‘for example, we can construct scaffolding in the water and do a full paint job. We also have one of the most capable sources of shore power at 1,250 amps.’

Although 135m is its official maximum length for its berths, Port Denia can impressively go further if needed: ‘technically our limit is 135m, but in front of our alongside berth, we have an area that we can temporarily rent from the port authority for superyachts up to 150m’ explains Albert. Completing refit work on the likes of the iconic Blohm & Voss 104.8m Lady Moura, Feadship’s 65m TRIDENT, and Lurssen’s 59m Vive La Vie, Port Denia's popularity is only upward. 

With a 150 GT travel lift, vast dry dock, an impressive amount of specialist workshops, as well as two haul-out slipways, Port Denia boasts a wealth of comprehensive shipyard facilities: ‘currently, we have a slipway of 1,250 tonnes for boats up to 65m - we say that 65m is the maximum yacht that we can haul out, but we could manage a light 70m!’ 

But that's not all. Albert reveals the next steps for the port: ‘we will be starting the construction of a new travel lift very soon: it will be around 20,000 sqm. In this new area, we will have additional space for around seven, maybe eight yachts of around 40m - 45m in the yard.’  This impressive expansion evidences Port Denia’s ongoing success, as the new addition is set to double its overall size: ‘with the “old” area we already have around 20,000sqm and adding our new area of the same size will make the total area of our shipyard around 40,000sqm: Port Denia will be doubling in size!’ 

It appears that visitors won’t have to wait long either for this exciting new development: ‘it's been a long documentation process, but we’re at the end now, and we hope to start construction very soon. We aim to be completely finished by around May 2023'. 

Alongside this considerable expansion, Albert tells us that the port is investing in more than just its facility size. ‘In the last few years, we have significantly invested in the project management team, who are an integral part of our team. We have naval architects, mechanical engineers, as well as an in-house team of welders, electricians and carpenters, who are extremely knowledgeable and can cover the most important parts of the refits and work that needs to be done onboard.’ According to Albert, ‘it's important to build a strong team of people that, in the end, add value to the work that we’re doing here.’

Not only able to provide a complete service in-house, the shipyard is also, uniquely, open-door. ‘We have an open-door policy here at the shipyard where we welcome other companies to work with us and the yacht,’ comments Albert, ‘if you have a specific subcontractor or company that you usually use and want them to work on the project with us…we don’t have any problems with that!’

With the demand to go green now becoming more prevalent than ever for those in the industry, Albert explains how Port Denia is looking to make moves to become a cleaner establishment: ‘we have a plan to install solar panels across the entire shipyard in order to have our facilities powered only by solar energy.’ Amazingly, Albert tells us, ‘that’s just an example of an investment we're starting this week!’

Ultimately, for the team at Port Denia, investing in a more eco-friendly approach has become an important continuous investment: ‘we are already very careful with our waste, and we always try to create little pollution; it's really something that all shipyards, as well as us, have to think about. We all have to invest in the most environmentally friendly facilities possible because it's the future of our industry. There is no way to do it differently.’ 

With two international airports, Alicante and Valencia, only one hour’s drive away, growing Port Denia is certainly a handy stop-off for superyacht owners, captains and crew, and offers the perfect opportunity to explore the vibrant Spanish destination, as well as further afield. ‘Ibiza is directly in front of us, and we are the closest port on the mainland to the island,’ explains Albert, ‘we have a daily ferry that connects Denia with Ibiza and Mallorca, which is great for connecting captains and crew with the islands, and in the summer there’s a daily ferry to Formentera too. The entire area around Denia is really nice - our coastline is quite similar to Ibiza’s, so it’s pretty great!’ 

The charming town of Denia offers visitors an appealing array of attractions all year round: ‘one of the best things about Denia is that it's not just during summer that you have all of the restaurants and activities open, the town is alive all year!’ 

When we ask Albert about some of the best attractions of Denia, his first thought is, ‘it's the perfect place for cycling!’ With vast mountains and glorious mild, sunny weather, Albert believes Denia to be, ‘one of the best places in Spain for cycling.’  Brimming with opportunities for fitness, Denia also harbours some of the best international five-star hotels and award-winning restaurants. Renowned for its sublime culinary culture, the town is a recognised UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy and is home to a three-star Michelin restaurant, which, coincidently, is only two kilometres from Port Denia. 

The scenic coastline, thriving town, and luxury establishments of Denia present the ultimate Spanish retreat, and for those visiting by superyacht, Port Denia is the perfect piece to the puzzle: an outstanding superyacht hub providing both a capable marina, and yacht services in a spectacular Mediterranean destination. To find out more about the services of Port Denia, or to book your berth, get in touch with Albert and the rest of the team today.