Arrecife's port surpasses 403,000 cruise passengers in the first half of 2026, a 16% increase from last year, contributing over 30% of the revenues of the Port Authority of Las Palmas. However, Mayor Yonathan de León denounces that the 2027 Business Plan allocates only two million to the capital of Lanzarote compared to 131 million for Gran Canaria.
Arrecife's port, a tourist engine for Lanzarote, has closed the first half of 2026 with 403,144 cruise passengers, a historic record representing a 16% increase compared to the same period in 2025. These figures, provided by the Port Authority of Las Palmas, establish the capital of Lanzarote as one of the reference ports in the Canary Islands, with growth significantly above the average of the province's ports, which barely reached 9.6%.
However, the mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, has raised concerns upon learning about the Port Authority of Las Palmas' Business Plan for 2027. According to the mayor, the document reveals a flagrant discrimination in the allocation of investments: of the 230 million euros planned for works in the province's ports, just over two million will be allocated to Arrecife, while Gran Canaria will receive 131 million, 55% of the total.
A port that generates 30% of revenues but receives 1% of investment
The complaint from the Arrecife City Council is not trivial. The port of the capital of Lanzarote contributes over 30% of the cruise revenues of the entire Port Authority of Las Palmas, a figure that contrasts with the 1% of the investment it will receive according to the plan. De León is clear: "We are not asking for privileges, we are asking for equality. It is unacceptable that while Gran Canaria expands docks and improves bunkering services with 131 million, we are given crumbs here."
The mayor reminds that 20% of Arrecife's waterfront is state port area, assigned to the Port Authority of Las Palmas, and that the facilities urgently need improvements to continue attracting cruise ships and consolidate the city as a home port. "We cannot allow the success of our ports to be paid for with neglect," he concludes.
Record cruise passengers reinforcing the bid to be a home port
The increase in passengers in Arrecife is not a coincidence. The City Council has promoted a strategy to turn the city into a home port for cruises, allowing travelers to start and end their journey on the island, with the consequent economic impact on hotels, restaurants, and shops. "We are seeing the fruits of our work, but we need the Port Authority to accompany us with investments," De León points out.
In fact, the mayor highlights that the interest of shipping companies in Arrecife as a stop or base for circuits around the Canary Islands and the coast of Africa is increasing. "We have a functioning port that generates wealth and has potential for much more. What we cannot do is remain with obsolete facilities while the business grows," he adds.
Meanwhile, the residents of Arrecife view the promises of investment with some skepticism. "Every year they tell us they will improve the port, but the works never arrive," comments María José Pérez, president of the historic centre residents' association. "The port is our gateway to tourism, but it is also a space we residents use. It is neglected," she complains.
The controversy is served, and it does not seem it will be resolved in the short term. The 2027 Business Plan is already approved and, according to sources from the Port Authority, responds to technical criteria of necessity and profitability. However, for the Arrecife City Council, the decision reeks of Gran Canarian centralism and a lack of sensitivity towards an island that, despite its size, has become a tourist reference.
The next step for De León will be to take the complaint to the Board of Directors of the Port Authority and, if he does not receive a response, to the Government of the Canary Islands. "We are not going to remain silent. Arrecife deserves fair treatment and we will fight for it," he concludes.
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