Port Vell is a waterfront harbour in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and part of the Port of Barcelona. It was built as part of an urban renewal program prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Before this, it was a run-down area of empty warehouses, railroad yards, and factories. 16 million people visit the complex each year.

Around the 4th century BC Barcelona was occupied by the Laietani. A tribe of Iberian people who inhabited the coastline between the Llobregat and Tordera rivers. Barkeno, on Montjuïc, was their main settlement. These people traded with the Greek colony in Empúries, building large grain stores for the purpose.

In the 1st century AD, the Romans founded a colony, Barcino, on Mount Tàber. The first port activity on the northern side of Montjuïc. The city and its maritime activities began to truly flourish and expand when Barcino's city walls were built after the Barbarian invasion in 263.

During the Late Middle Ages, Barcelona found itself on the frontier between Islam to the south and Christianity to the north. This strategic location was decisive in Barcelona's growth, for the city became established as a trading point between the two worlds and, eventually, the greatest maritime power in the Mediterranean, despite not possessing a port worthy of the name. The ships that anchored between the Royal Shipyards and the city were badly exposed to the great storms that often affected this coast and which caused many shipwrecks.

These storms made it extremely difficult to build an artificial harbour because the huge amounts of sand and sediment deposited as a result of these phenomena damaged any work, whether ongoing or complete.

Work on the first successful project began in 1477. The enterprise entailed building a dock that would stretch as far as Maians Island, a sandy islet about 100 metres off the coast.

As the dike that sheltered the harbour was extended in various stages to the south and southwest of Maians Island, sand was also deposited in large quantities on the beach to the southeast of the Ciutadella. The Barceloneta neighbourhood was built on this new peninsula.

Despite the constant work to extend the dike (which reached what is now the Moll de Pescadors in 1723), in 1743 the huge amounts of sand that had accumulated finally collapsed the port. An enormous sandbank between the dike's end and what is now Plaça del Portal de la Pau made it necessary to close the port, trapping some of the anchored ships. The beacon in the Moll de Pescadors dock, was built a little later, in 1772.

In order to provide a definitive solution to the problem of harbour depth, work began in 1816 to extend the breakwater, which reached what is now the floating dike in 1882. However, a newly formed sandbank showed that even this was not sufficient, and the dike was enlarged once more, whilst an outer harbour wall was also built and the port mouth was moved to what is now the West Dock, or Moll de Ponent.

In 1868, the Barcelona authorities requested permission from the Development Ministry to constitute the Port of Barcelona Board of Public Works (Junta d'obres), which met for the first time in 1869. This institution, a veritable experiment in decentralisation, continued to operate until 1978.

It was under the Board of Public Works that the port's structure was at last consolidated and the danger from sand and storms finally overcome.

Formerly an obsolete harbor, the Port Vell was turned into a modern yacht-basin and entertainment center. Before the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, the Port Vell, the city's old obsolete harbor was only a rundown area with empty warehouses, industrial buildings, refuse dumps and railroad yards. In one of the most drastic urban renewal projects, the area was transformed into a yacht basin and entertainment center, opening the city up to the sea. A coastal road was moved underground and a pedestrian street now stretches from the Columbus monument to the Barceloneta neighborhood.

A brand new wooden pedestrian bridge, the Rambla de Mar connects the Rambla with the Maremàgnum, a complex with shops, cinemas, bars and restaurants. Behind the Marèmagnum are an IMAX theater and Barcelona's aquarium.

The IMAX theater features three projection systems: the Omnimax screen, the flat IMAX and the 3D IMAX for which spectators use 3D glasses.

The biggest attraction of the Port Vell is the aquarium, one of the largest in Europe. The aquarium boasts 8000 Fish, including 11 sharks in in total 22 basins filled with 6 million liter (1,5 million gallons) sea water. Basin 17 features an 80m long tunnel from where you can observe mediterranean deep sea fish, including sharks.

Southwest of the Maremàgnum is the Aduana building, an old customs building constructed in 1902. Adjacent is a long pier with the new World Trade Center. At the other, north eastern end of Port Vell is an eye-catching statue by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. The colorful 14m high statue is called 'El cap de Barcelona' (head of Barcelona).

Port Vell is at the Sourthern most end of the Ramblas and is the main docking area for the cruise ships. There are only a few hotels in the Port vell area of Barcelona. The Port Vell area offers you ready access to the city centre. You are only 10 minutes walking distance from the famous La Rambla and you will have views of the Mediterranean sea. Near that area there are plenty of hotels. so don’t forget to book a reservation in a hotel near the Port Vell.

The Port Vell offers a dozen varied and versatile venue where you can organise any business venture or event imaginable. Nowadays it is a big entertainment center, offering different programs, where everyone can have fun, take a rest, have a drink or just sit and enjoy the sea and the beach. That’s why Port Vell is a popular destination for both citizens and tourists – there is plenty for sightseeing. Port Vell is one of Barcelona’s best places to visit, so take a look when touring the city. You can get there via direct flight to Barcelona or to Girona, Reus or Lleida –Alguaire.