TOURISTS have been left stunned after a popular Spanish city banned cruise ships from the city centre.
Barcelona has closed its most central port in a controversial move to reduce emissions in the heart of the picturesque city.
GettyCruise ships will no longer be able to port at a certain terminal in Barcelona[/caption]
Cruise ships arriving at the vibrant tourist hotspot must now dock at the Moll d’Adossat pier, which is the furthest from the city centre.
This is currently used by major cruise liners including Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and MSC Cruises.
Before that, ships also used the bustling World Trade Centre pier, which is just a block from La Rambla, Barcelona’s famous promenade.
From October 22, tourists disembarking from these ships will no longer have the convenience of strolling directly into Barcelona’s historic centre.
Instead, they will need to rely on shuttle buses to transport them from the southern dock to the heart of the city.
Reaching the iconic La Rambla boulevard, a central attraction in Barcelona, will no longer be a ten-minute walk from the central port.
The new restrictions have been in the works since 2018 when the municipal government and port authority in Barcelona agreed to regulate cruise ship activity.
The agreement stemmed from controversies over increased pressure from tourism on the Catalan capital.
Lluis Salvado, president of the Port of Barcelona, labelled October 3 as a “historic day for the city”.
Mr Salvado said: “The closure of the Barcelona northern docks for cruise operations is a new step to comply with the agreement signed in 2018 with the Barcelona municipal government to eliminate the negative impact that this activity could produce for citizens.
“This is a clear demonstration that the Port of Barcelona complies with the agreement.”
The move affects around 340 cruise dockings a year, according to data released by the port authorities.
Barcelona has long been a popular destination for British tourists enjoying a cruise around the Mediterranean.
Visitors are drawn to the city’s sandy beaches and famous landmarks such as the Sagrada Familia and Antoni Gaudi’s Park Guell.
Although the rule only officially takes effect on October 22, the last ship to dock there has already been and gone.
Mystic Cruises’ World Navigator stopped by on October 2.
By 2026, all cruise operations will operate from the Adossat wharf.
For that to happen, the Barcelona South terminal, also on the World Trade Center pier, will be closed.