Plans to transform Marbella’s La Bajadilla port have moved forward after more than 15 years of legal and administrative obstacles.

The Junta de Andalucia confirmed Thursday that a new 40-year concession has been awarded, with the incoming operator due to take over management on January 1, 2027.

The project expects more than €200million to be spent on expanding and modernising the harbour, creating a ‘new focus for tourism and economic activity in Marbella’.

It means new shops, bars and restaurants could soon line the port, creating a new tourist hotspot.

Regional development minister Mario Muñoz-Atanet confirmed the new concession in the Andalucian parliament on Thursday.

‘We have brought an end to a long blockage affecting a historic project that had been paralysed,’ he said.

The next confirmed milestone is the handover of port management at the beginning of 2027.

Muñoz-Atanet said the development would create opportunities for businesses and employment while strengthening Marbella’s tourism offering.

The project has been held up by alleged failures by the previous concessionaire, court proceedings and administrative appeals.

According to the minister, the Junta implemented a judgment requiring the process to return to the tendering stage, allowing a new award to be completed with legal safeguards.

The announcement forms part of a wider programme to modernise Andalucia’s ports and encourage private investment through renewed concessions.

Muñoz-Atanet said 11 companies had submitted bids in the ongoing tender process for Estepona’s port.

He also pointed to more than €150million invested since 2019 in ports directly managed by the regional administration.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.