New Náutico promenade in Dénia: 12,600 m² opening to the city after years of negotiation

A promenade in exchange for fifteen more years

The new promenade at the Real Club Náutico de Dénia is not just an improvement project. It is the condition the club must meet to remain in the port. As La Marina Times reported, the members' assembly gave its approval on 26 September to the final project, linked to the extension of the concession until 2039. The entity had two administrative concessions: one expiring in 2024 and the other in 2028.

An amendment to the Generalitat's Ports Law, resulting from negotiations between the Association of Nautical Clubs of the Valencian Community and the Regional Ministry, allowed these entities to request extensions of their concessions in exchange for investing in their surroundings and facilities. The Náutico de Dénia took advantage of this and chose a specific project: a promenade connecting two previously poorly connected areas.

What the new promenade will be like

The project covers around 12,600 square metres of the club's waterfront, between Avenida Joan Fuster and Calle Aldebarán. The project is the work of the Dénia-based architecture firm QB architects, which describes it as a way to "heal the historic fracture between the city and the sea".

These are its main elements, according to the studio and the club:

• No fences. Existing barriers and fencing will be removed and new pedestrian routes created to make the waterfront more permeable.
• Shade. Corten steel metal pergolas will provide shade for the car park and promenade.
• Differentiated flooring. The paving will be permeable and will subtly change in texture and tone depending on its use: pedestrian transit, vehicle access, sitting areas or contact with the sea.
• Dedicated lighting. Custom-designed lampposts will accompany the route.
• Green areas. Around 1,500 square metres of green and landscaped areas, with low-maintenance Mediterranean vegetation.
• Sailing school. A standalone building for the sailing school and its storage, conceived as a light and permeable structure, clad with filtering elements that allow light and natural ventilation to pass through.
• Events plaza. A space for events related to nautical activities.
• Access and parking. Access points and car park spaces will be reorganised.

The architects describe the result as a transition between the urban and the natural that expands views to the sea and returns to citizens a space historically reserved for technical and private use.

Timeline: almost four years of procedures

• January 2023. The club announces that it will request extensions of its two concessions, fifteen years for the one expiring in 2024 and ten for the one in 2028. Manager Amaia Saz explains that the project has already been sent to the Generalitat and opened for public consultation.
• August 2023. The members' assembly approves the conditions set by the General Directorate of Ports to obtain the extension until 2039. These include developing a seafront promenade within the facility, with an estimated budget of 4 million euros.
• March 2025. Jaime Portolés is re-elected president and the club confirms the 15-year extension, linked to an investment of 4 million for a promenade with new lighting, a semi-private car park and renovated facilities.
• March 2026. The club announces that, following negotiations, technical reviews and modifications to the initial project, works are about to begin.
• 26 September 2026. The assembly approves the final project with 150 votes in favour, none against and one abstention, following approval of the construction project by the Regional Ministry.
• Late October 2026. Planned start of works.

Delays, changes and higher costs

The process has not been straightforward. The club itself acknowledges that the project has evolved over several years, in different phases of study and adaptation, to adjust it to urban planning requirements and the idea of opening the port to the public. The president has taken part in numerous meetings with the Regional Ministry to defend what the club considers an appropriate solution.

This journey is evident in the timeline and budget. Works that in March were "about to begin" will start seven months later, and investment has risen from the 4 million estimated in 2023 and 2025 to nearly 5 million. The club finances the entire project with its own resources and those of its members.

The balance between public and private interests has been another delicate point. The club argues that the project responds to the need to improve and integrate public space, but without unnecessarily disrupting the daily activities and social life of members.

What remains unknown

There are aspects of the project that the club has not detailed publicly:

• Duration of works and planned completion date.
• Public use of the promenade. Whether it will be freely accessible at all times or will have restricted hours and areas for members only.
• The semi-private car park. How many spaces it will have and who can use them.
• Impact during works. How it will affect the club's activities, the sailing school and traffic in the area.
• Fit with the rest of the waterfront. How the new promenade will connect with the Marineta Cassiana and the rest of the city's seafront.

Project details

• Developer: Real Club Náutico de Dénia
• Architects: QB architects
• Area: 12,600 m²
• Location: the club's waterfront, between Avenida Joan Fuster and Calle Aldebarán
• Investment: nearly 5 million euros, financed by the club
• Green areas: around 1,500 m²
• Start of works: late October 2026
• Consideration: extension of concession until 2039