Port accessThe public tender which the Port Authority of Bilbao had put out to award a public domain licence for the exploitation of La Galea Lighthouse has been declared void since no offers had been received by 20 December, the closing date fixed for the presentation of the same.
In spite of the interest shown by several local business people, the tender has remained void, mainly as a result of the need to carry out a more detailed market analysis in order to assess whether such a high investment on reforming the lighthouse and adapting it to hotel/catering use will produce reasonable returns; and to this effect, the time period granted by the tender has proved to be insufficient.
However, the Port Authority has not given up on the project, and is waiting for the opportunity to preserve and exploit this heritage of undoubted historic-cultural interest by providing a unique and singular tourist offer, while at the same time stimulating and invigorating the hotel/catering business fabric.
As a consequence, a period of reflexion will be shortly opened in order to analyse the suggestions that have been made, and to study, where necessary, which measures can be introduced to enable such a project to be carried out.
