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Spanish sports hub signs on for new wave pool

Last week at the FITUR International Tourism Fair in Madrid, developers announced they will be using Wavegarden tech for an upcoming sports facility project. The surf park is aimed at boosting tourism and economic growth in the Valencian Community of Spain.

Known as a European sports capital, La Nucia lies southeast of the Mediterranean coastline and 10km north of Benidorm, one of Spain’s most iconic tourist areas. South of Barcelona and three-and-a-half hours east of Madrid, it’s well-known for having 300 days of sunshine per year and an average temperature of 70F. The rave utopia of Ibiza is three hours east by ferry.

The new project will occupy an area of 70,000 square meters and sit next to the current Ciutat Esportiva Camilo Cano. Amenities will include a surf school and shop, restaurants, co-working areas, accommodation for athletes and a multifunctional building with a gym, fitness room, yoga and more. It will serve as a training center for national team surfers, pros and regional federation members.

The sport complex in La Nucia (left) is a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean tourist mecca of Benidorm. Photos Ciutat Esportiva Camilo Cano & Benidorm Tourisma.

Construction will begin in 2023 with the wave machine firing out the first waves in the summer of 2024. When completed, the project is expected to receive more than 200,000 visitors a year from all over the world.

“We are convinced that this new facility will mark a before and after in ‘La Nucía, Ciudad del Deporte,'” said city mayor Bernabé Cano. “It will place us as a benchmark in the world of surfing worldwide, completing our sports offering and positioning us as a sports tourist destination throughout the year.”

Developers said the project’s architecture and landscaping would follow criteria of maximum sustainability to maintain the land and its surroundings to keep them in as natural a state as possible. Without providing details, the future surf park said that it will be run by 100% renewable energies.

This is the fourth Wavegarden project planned for Spain.


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