Km 0

‘Km 0’ has become a meeting point for families, athletes and all those who want to stroll along the Tarragona shoreline.

In recent years this emblematic spot in the city has undergone major changes: the distance was extended to reach a second lighthouse, and a second fountain was set up, with Km 0 being turned into a pedestrian-only area.

Integrating Port and City
El dic de Llevant, la Rambla del Port. (History of the Llevant Sea Wall, The Port Rambla)

Integrating Port and City

With the completion of the improvement works to the Llevant Sea Wall, the Port has succeeded in reorganising the public area of the Llevant Sea Wall, specifically from the first roundabout on the sea wall to the Banya lighthouse, to adapt to the new sporting uses and needs. The aim of this reorganisation is to provide the Llevant sea wall with the areas needed to make outdoor activities safe and enjoyable, as well as regenerating the road structurally.

The remodelling of the Llevant Sea Wall was carried out in 2015 in order to turn it into a section of the Km 0 for the townspeople, with a bike lane plus one each for skaters and pedestrians.

SIGNAGE WITH MILESTONES EVERY 250 METRES

SEPARATE LANES FOR CYCLISTS, SKATERS AND JOGGERS

REST AREA WITH WATER FOUNTAIN AND EMERGENCY TELEPHONE

AREA RESTRICTED FOR THE PASSAGE OF VEHICLES IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE ATHLETES’ SAFETY

* At the end of  Km 0 there is adapted public service for people of reduced mobility.

El dic de Llevant, la Rambla del Port. (History of the Llevant Sea Wall, The Port Rambla)

Over 200 years ago, Tarragona society, taking advantage of a period of economic boom, made a firm commitment to restoring the activity of the Port by beginning the construction of what was to become the modern port.

The projects by Juan Ruiz de Apodaca and Joan Smith made use of the Roman and medieval remains that existed and established the foundations of the current port, beginning with its core feature: the Llevant sea wall.

The material was transported to the jetty with carts pulled by oxen and mules; the large stones, however, were moved using the "donkey", a wooden platform that moved by sliding on rollers. Years later, it was the tram that transported large blocks from the quarry to the jetty via Plaça dels Carros.

The Llevant sea wall, the main construction for providing shelter and protection for the Port of Tarragona was built, stone by stone, from material extracted from the Pons Icart quarry, using the convicts confined in the city as a labour force.

Of particular importance in the nineteenth century was the impulse given by the engineer Saturnino Bellido, who oversaw the construction of the Moll de Costa dock as well as the extension of the Llevant sea wall, which by 1849 was already 1,064 metres long.

At the beginning of the 20th century, machinery began to take over, not only as a means of loading and unloading goods, but also for construction; thus, the Titan crane with a capacity of up to 20 tonnes was installed on the Llevant sea wall until 1918, for the work of extending it.

A lighthouse was set at the end of this magnificent construction, extending as it does into the sea, giving protection and shelter to the docks and to the ships anchored in the Port, to indicate the entrance to the harbour for ships.

In the early years, this building was made of wood and could be moved according to the requirements of the growing construction; later, in the 20th century, the building that currently stands as a witness in the middle of the Moll d’Aragó dock was constructed.

In the 1980s, the iron lighthouse built between 1861 and 1864 was moved from the Banya point in the Ebro Delta to Tarragona, where it was restored, becoming a landmark within the Port.

The last extension of the Llevant sea wall ended in 2007, reaching its current length of 4,850 metres, enabling not only the growth of the Port infrastructure on that side, with the creation of new dry-land areas, but also the development of a popular urban area where the townspeople can carry out a variety of activities: ranging from a peaceful stroll to watch the Port activity, to a cultural route with different points of interest: the clock tower of the Port, the geodesic point, the Moll d’Aragó dock lighthouse and the Banya lighthouse; a cycling circuit along a specially designed track, skating, jogging or even diving.

For the people of Tarragona, the latest expansion has made it an urban area in which they can enjoy practising a variety of activities.