Faced with the saturation of the ports of Hercule and Fontvieille, the Principality decided, at the end of 2016, to buy the the Ventimiglia marina for a period of 85 years. Due to only having a 202-hectare territory, Monaco is quite restricted. Both ports. Hercule and Fonvieille, are saturated, but the demand for international top-of-the-range yachting continues to increase.
Thus, after nearly three years of work (which should be completed in the spring of 2021), the port of Cala del Forte partially opened in October 2020 to accommodate the first ships for the winter season. Already between thirty and fifty large ships have moored at Monaco’s third port, which will eventually be able to accommodate 178 vessels of up to 70 metres. Once completed, the port will also have 33 shops and a multi-storey car park with 578 spaces.
The official inauguration will not take place until July 2021 as some requirements from the Société Monégasque Internationale Portuaire, a subsidiary of the Société d’Exploitation des Ports de Monaco, which aims to develop Monaco’s ports internationally, have not yet been met.
