What’s happening at Club de Mar?

Athletes, magnates, film stars, and musical idols enjoy the incomparable waters of the Mediterranean in summer on board the most modern and luxurious boats you can find today. Whether Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafa Nadal or the “Apple boat”, they all regularly berth at the facilities of Club de Mar de Mallorca. A marina that is currently transforming into one of the most exclusive ports in the Mediterranean—in step with the major redevelopment of Palma’s Paseo Marítimo. What’s going on at Club de Mar right now is truly remarkable.

Around 60 million euros are being invested to turn this historically modest but prestigious marina into a benchmark in the Mediterranean. This amount almost doubles the investment the city is channeling into the Paseo. It is the largest private remodeling of a port facility in Spain. The works are progressing relentlessly and are due to be completed by summer 2024.

The 50-year-old buildings have finally been demolished to make way for a club with completely redesigned facilities. To date, Club de Mar has always stood in the shadow of Club Náutico de Palma, even though it has always hosted luxury yachts of great length. The good image of events such as the Copa del Rey has always worked decisively in favor of Club Náutico de Palma. This is now set to change, as all the pontoons at Club de Mar are being renovated and refurbished. A new quay for large yachts is also being built, which will offer more than 70 berths for boats between 50 and 170 meters in length. In addition, the new marina will be able to accommodate up to four yachts between 136 and 170 meters in length at the same time, which has not been possible in the Mediterranean so far.

Luxury is the cult of detail—and for the time being, until the project is completed, it has disappeared entirely. The inconveniences that arise under the current circumstances for the yachts moored at the club are inevitable. The removal of the old buildings has made it necessary to set up temporary, modular offices. Captains and crew of some of the most renowned yachts in the world are being looked after on a construction site. Add to that the lack of parking spaces. For this reason, Club de Mar has opened a virtual office so that most of the required administrative formalities can be handled by phone or electronically.

The new project will stand out above all for its high environmental efficiency and the new layout of the buildings. A central walkway will connect the Paseo Marítimo with the Cruise Terminal. This walkway will be surrounded by new buildings spanning three floors, housing retail spaces, cafeterias, and restaurants. The third floor of the complex will serve exclusively the members of Club de Mar-Mallorca and will feature a lounge area with a swimming pool offering a privileged view of the Bay of Palma.

A change has also been made in the marketing area. Club de Mar Mallorca now has a new look under the motto: “We change so as not to change.” The traditional pennant depicting a bat and two yellow-red stripes has given way to a new, modern logo adapted to the times, while preserving the club’s characteristic elements from its half century of history.

Club de Mar-Mallorca was founded in 1972, three years after it received the public concession to use the public port land. On October 19, 2019, this concession was extended for a further 25 years—until 2044—on the condition that the marina be completely redesigned. As part of this agreement, Club de Mar also committed to paying 250 million euros in fees to the public coffers over the next 25 years.

The works at Club de Mar Mallorca are part of the overall reform process of Palma’s Paseo Marítimo and will give a strong boost to the port-city concept. The socio-economic impact will be of great significance for the city. Around 500 new direct and indirect jobs will be created, and by the end of the concession term the value of the facilities is expected to be around 170 million euros.

What do you think?

Will Club de Mar be as spectacular as expected?

I’m looking forward to hearing your opinion!