New Marina in Natal
Marina for Natal will attract more foreign tourists and development for the city and Rio Grande do Norte
A modern marina, built to international standards is new investment in the city by foreigners. It was the meeting of Rio Potengi with the Atlantic Ocean and the proximity with the European continent, resulting in a great fluvial potential that attracted the attention of the investors of Spanish group BCM Ingenieiros.
The Natal marina is predicted to be concluded in next the two years with an investment of R$ 90 million (= to 30 million euros), being R$ 45 million (15 million euros) in a first stage, the marina is a structure that will have capacity for 500 boats, shopping mall with 100 stores and ample gastronomic area, with bars, restaurants and bistros, shipyards, rental apartments to receive the tourists,; an international sailing school and handicraft stores.
The choice of the investment for Natal was made after a dispute between Ceará and the Rio Grande do Norte, which Natal benefited by supplying the best viable conditions for the enterprise. In February, the construction project for the marina made official with the signature of a letter of intentions between the Spanish group and mayor Carlos Eduardo Alves, and other involved authorities in the concretion of the project. The Natal City hall of the Christmas approved the area for the construction to be in the regimen of a concession, to be located on the left bank of the river Potengi alongside the Fort dos Reis Magos. On the other hand the investing group will have to construct a park for preservation of the native vegetation, and also implant the international sailing school for teaching the young people. Also, the entire structure of the Marina will be open to the natalense public, different that the present yacht club which is private and limited for docking facilities.
With the marina, the city will be benefited directly with the generation of 550 jobs, and more indirectly by income with the coming of new tourists. The investment will make possible the maritime reception of the new cruise ships and other excursions, also making possible the accomplishment of nautical events.
The work of the Secretary of Tourism of Natal , Fernando Bezerril, was one of the important steps for the capital to receive the enterprise, being assisted by the Spaniard to decide the bureaucratic questions and with the contacts with the authorities. Bezerril believes in the idea that the investment will promote nautical tourism, through the sporting-tourists and commercial port development and will attract more tourists and more income for the city.
One of the entrepreneurs of the marina, Jose Manuel Escobedo, already give technical support to several in Europe, among them the nautical complex of Cadiz, in Spain. Segundo Escobedo, stated that with the tourist potential of Natal, it is possible that the marina would add, within a short time, the construction of a modern hotel. The investor reminded that, with the implantation of the marina, large boats proceeding from Europe will start to come alongside in Natal , which will mean the arrival of tourists with good purchasing power.
OBS: The natural sailing route from the Azores to the Caribbean arrives close to Natal in order to catch the favorable winds and currents along the coast. Only a few elect to stop at present due to the present lack of mooring and/or docking facilities and the subsequent lack of marine support activities. There is no real marina anywhere on the northeast coast of Brazil (the nearest real marina is Rio de Janeiro ).
