"Benchi Express" on the Corralejo-Playa Blanca Route

Fred. Olsen has been considering the idea of putting the small catamaran "Benchi Express" on the Corralejo-Playa Blanca route for some time, and now the official confirmation arrives under the pretext that "the vessel will remain in service for technical reasons," although it adds that "a significant increase in travelers is expected in the coming weeks." The mentioned vessel is already positioned at the port of Corralejo and will serve only for passengers and bicycles of the catamaran "Bocayna Express."

Casimiro Curbelo has secured a commitment from Fred. Olsen that starting July 1, the internal Gomeran route will be reestablished with this vessel, for which it was expressly built. This is despite, according to the company, "the slow recovery of tourist activity (which has not yet reached 2019 figures), combined with recent increases in fuel costs and the CPI, have caused this connection to not be reactivated until now."

By then, when summer is in full swing, "aware of the importance of this route for La Gomera, for its residents and for its visitors, and despite the current unfavorable economic situation," Fred. Olsen "decides to resume this service, which began in 2017, in response to requests from the island and regional administrations, showing its commitment to an island that the Norwegian Olsen family arrived at more than 110 years ago."

Photo: Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo