Thousands of residents and visitors gathered on Thursday for the inauguration of Paseo del Mar, a new leisure and restaurant complex built on reclaimed land at Torrevieja’s port. The project, promoted by Empresas del Sol and backed by regional investors, has taken four years to complete at a cost of more than €61 million.

The opening ceremony was attended by the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Juan Francisco Pérez Llorca, the Mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolón, and businessman Enrique Riquelme. Speakers described the development as a milestone that restores the city’s historic connection with the Mediterranean and modernises part of the port area through public-private partnership.

Paseo del Mar offers 27 leisure and dining venues, featuring national and international brands. Neocine will open its cinema complex later this month. The site provides 10,500 square metres of lettable space within a 20,000 square metre complex and includes an underground car park with more than 650 spaces.

Developers say the centre will create more than 400 direct jobs and boost Torrevieja’s tourism and local economy. A teachers’ protest took place outside during the ceremony, while large crowds caused heavy traffic in the town centre, marking one of the first major congestion points of the summer season.