Puerto de Mogán, the Little Venice of Gran Canaria, Puerto de Mogan, Spain (B)

Puerto de Mogán is a picturesque resort on the beautiful southern coastline of Gran Canaria. But it did not evolve naturally from a fishing village into a tourist destination. It is the manifestation of the vision of one man, Rafael Neville.

Originally the inhabitants of Puerto de Mogán relied on fishing and agriculture to eke out a living. But, when the coastal road network reached the village it suddenly became a tourist destination. Fortunately, the potential of this area was recognised by Rafael Neville who decided to turn Puerto de Mogán into the ‘best, breath-taking urbanization in the Canary Islands.’ Despite many doubting his project could succeed due to the lack of land for expansion and the lack of funds to pay for it Neville went ahead and work began in 1983. His project, which required the reclamation of land from the Atlantic Ocean to build the fishing harbour and marina, was completed in 1988.

Rafael Neville who was born in Malaga, Spain was already renowned for designing and building, with Paolo Riccardi, the famous Porto Rafael on the Italian island of Sardinia before moving up to Mogán in the mid 1960s. After completing this project, he moved on to Puerto de Mogán. During his time here it became a popular venue for the ‘jet set’ visiting Europe at that time. His work here is commemorated by a square, Piazza De D Rafael Neville, that has been named after him. The ambiance he created here also lives on in the picturesque town that has the nickname Little Venice of Gran Canaria. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).