Soon the people of Barranquilla will have the chance to enjoy the newly renovated Puerto Mocho, Barranquilla’s only beach. With the ongoing projects in Puerto Mocho and the tourist trolley in Las Flores, the Caribbean Sea will soon be a destination for all. As of December 2023, testing of the Puerto Mocho trolley is underway. Click HERE to read more about it.
Mayor Jaime Pumarejo Heins and a number of officials recently took a tour of the project.
“We are at Puerto Mocho beach”, said the mayor. “We’re here finishing pouring the slabs for the kiosks, dining areas, and kitchens. This is where locals who have traditionally sold food here will cook delicious meals for our visitors. Here you can find a calm beach, one of the cleanest in the Atlántico region. By year’s end, Barranquilleros will be able to visit and say we have a river, a marsh, and a beach.”
He also spoke on the tourist trolley project. “We are laying the tracks that will serve as a mixed-use road, as vehicles carrying cargo will pass through there. Next, we will begin the bike path and pedestrian walkway between Las Flores station and the beach. We are making great progress, and we are very happy that Barranquilla will soon have a tourist trolley,” he said.
Video of trolleys under construction: https://www.facebook.com/jaimepumarejoheins/videos/645488376936727
Commitment to sustainable tourism
Not so long ago the city focused on the Magdalena River as a hub for tourism and business events. Consequently, that has become one of Barranquilla’s most significant investments.
“Today we see how Barranquilla grows and, in addition, how we have a better quality of life. Now we are adding two more ambitious components in terms of the environment and enjoyment. The first is the Ciénaga de MallorquÃn, where there is an incredible interaction between the beach and the marsh. Next, is Puerto Mocho and the waterfront, where we will have a kilometer-long promenade between the beach and Las Flores. All of this will bring employment, tourism, quality of life, and incredible enjoyment for the people of Barranquilla. We have taken them to the river, now we’re bringing them to the sea,” emphasized Pumarejo Heins.
The New Puerto Mocho Beach
Designers designated three main areas for the Puerto Mocho project. The first is a sports area, located along the shoreline. It is exclusively for swimmers, surfers, kite surfers, and paddle boarders. The next area is focused on relaxation. The city is installing comfortable tents and loungers. Finally, the services area will have food and beverages, kiosks, and bathrooms.
Plus, the city has designated an additional three kilometers of the western waterfront for public space and the trolley structures. Furthermore, the projects corresponding to the Las Flores station parking lot are nearing completion. So far the workers have installed roughly 400 meters of tracks.
The strip connecting Las Flores and Puerto Mocho beach will also have a pedestrian path and a bike lane. It will transform the artisanal transportation that has driven tourism in the area for decades.
For this purpose, people with enjoy two 60-seat tram cars, with space for people with reduced mobility. The public chose the names of these tram cars through the digital campaign #PonleNombre, which received over 100 proposals. The winners were “Tajamar” and “Mar y RÃo”, which will be shuttling passengers between the main station and Puerto Mocho.
