Last Friday, the coordinator of the Parque Tecnológico Playa Paraíso 2010-Adeje visited the scientific catamaran Gara Itsasoa, which opened its doors to the public at the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on June 3, 4 and 5. A day that offered a close look at the work carried out on board this vessel dedicated to marine research, and one that adds to the long history of institutional meetings and networking that has characterized the development of our business initiative since 2010.
A unique experience on board
During the visit, guided by the catamaran's scientific team and crew, visitors were able to see the ship's working facilities, including the laboratory where samples are processed and oceanographic data is collected. The marine biologist accompanying the team explained the research lines focused on marine resources and their conservation, as well as the collaborative projects the team maintains with public and private universities and with organizations dedicated to protecting marine habitats.
Playa Paraíso, part of the conversation
Taking advantage of the encounter, the Gara Itsasoa team was told about the ongoing project to develop a future Sports Marina with a Marine Research Center in Playa Paraíso (Adeje), located near the Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife. The proposal sparked interest among the crew, especially upon learning that marine biologist Paula Rivero — linked to spirulina research and part of our writing team — could serve as a point of connection between both projects.
A meeting that fits into a trajectory spanning more than a decade
This visit is not an isolated event; rather, it fits into the usual dynamic of our initiative, as reflected in the Parque Tecnológico Playa Paraíso blog itself. Since its origin in 2010, the project — promoted by coordinator Miguel Muñoz (Miguel Fidel Muñoz Cabrera), based in La Laguna — has been processed before the Adeje City Council as a Territorial Action Project, benefiting over the years from the collaboration of architects such as Annika Schollin, Juan Pedro Salcedo and Alejandro Díez Martín, and the support of advisors such as the consultancy firm Coram Clairfield. The blog also documents numerous institutional meetings driven by the coordinator — from trips to London and the British Chamber of Commerce to tourism awareness events in the Canary Islands — as well as an annual calendar that the initiative has distributed for several years as a visibility tool, and whose 2026 edition once again emphasizes the intention to foster "fruitful collaborations, shared visions and tangible progress" for the project.
That same spirit of building alliances with the scientific and academic world is reflected in the recent visit to the Faculty of Marine Sciences at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), and now, in making contact with the Gara Itsasoa team: one more step in the ongoing search for connections with research centers, universities and blue economy projects that can enrich and give visibility to the future Playa Paraíso Sports Marina.
The origin of the Gara Itsasoa: science, art and ocean
The catamaran we visited has a recent but already quite singular history behind it. The project was born from Gara Goñi Godoy, a researcher raised on the sandy shores of Caleta de Famara (Lanzarote), a graduate in Marine Sciences specialized in Conservation Biology and Protected Natural Areas, who also has an artistic side linked to environmental awareness. Before embarking on this initiative, she took part in cetacean photo-identification campaigns in El Hierro and aerial censuses of bluefin tuna in Mallorca.
The project's name itself carries deep meaning: in Basque, "Gara" means "we are" and "Itsasoa" means "sea," a combination that expresses the inseparable connection between human beings and the ocean championed by its founder; interestingly, in Canarian aboriginal culture the name "Gara" is also associated with concepts such as mountain, rock or water.
The catamaran itself is an aluminum-built sailing vessel, just over 21 meters long and over 10 meters wide, equipped with laboratories, water and microplastic sampling systems, and wildlife observation technology such as drones and plankton collectors. The vessel was launched in the Netherlands in 2025 and sailed from there to its current base at the marina in Arrecife (Lanzarote), home to the company behind the project, Gara Project Prime S.L.
Running the boat's day-to-day operations is a small team of professionals: Eduardo Pérez as captain, Lenka Klikarova as crew member, and Peru Almandoz as cook (Diario de Lanzarote), who describe the project as an attempt to foster tourism oriented toward conservation and research (Diario de Lanzarote). The captain himself has noted that the boat has the autonomy to sail for several weeks on the open sea, and that the team is already in advanced talks with the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to hand over samples collected during voyages and share the resulting scientific findings with passengers. The Gara Itsasoa has been gradually introducing itself to the Canarian public, with open-house days in Arrecife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and, now, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The importance of institutional collaboration
Integrating universities, research centers and projects like the Gara Itsasoa is a fundamental pillar for the development of our initiative, which is linked to the blue economy and to the study and protection of marine ecosystems. Visits like this one strengthen the network of contacts we have been building for more than a decade, and open the door to future joint activities between the scientific field and our proposal for a Sports Marina with a Marine Research Center in Playa Paraíso.
We will continue to share updates on this collaboration through our channels.
Reference links
–A scientific ship visits the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and opens its doors to residents (El Día):
–Facebook post about the visit:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18C7CRF7h4/
–Parque Tecnológico Playa Paraíso 2010-Adeje blog:
http://parquetecnologicoplayaparaiso.blogspot.com
–Catamaris Explorer 71 catamaran listing (ocean cruiser):
https://share.google/nMc8uzNPW8NicaSCN
–Gara Itsasoa – We Are Sea (project website):
https://share.google/LdE5vrlvxE4tyFUXb
–LinkedIn profile of Gara Project Prime S.L.:
–Company profile of Gara Project Prime SL (Cinco Días):
https://share.google/0THQIFDEM5RD401Il
–Gara Project – RegenERA Lanzarote:
https://share.google/C1u3IrMrOy5c5KWZx
–Gara Itsasoa contact page:
https://share.google/kCKUwDEG7IP8cyNPh
–Interview with founder Gara Goñi Godoy (Diario de Lanzarote):
https://share.google/jwAgcUPZe45QqpDgv
–Gara Itsasoa privacy policy:
https://share.google/y8Am5yDBboS99YAN4
–About us – MicroGreen Spirulina:
https://share.google/J5se61G7CEvrBBLLK
–LinkedIn profile of Paula Rivero Rodríguez:
–Spotify platform:
https://open.spotify.com/intl-es
–"Música para Playa Paraíso" playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1zMFLeNobQHeYHQ1ywCVPu
–Marina Playa Paraíso blog: A Project for the Future:
https://marinaplayaparaiso.blogspot.com/
–Marina Playa Paraíso website (Wix):
https://miguelproyecto64.wixsite.com/marina-playa-paraiso
–Our social media (blog post):
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| From right to left, our coordinator, Miguel Muñoz, and the secretary of our business initiatives, Ramiro Rosón, at Guaro's Bar. –Guaro's Bar Address: Avenida Islas Canarias, 19 (38006, Santa Cruz de Tenerife) Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/guarosbar_tenerife?igsh=MWNtanVkeXFhMGYxMw== Phone: 610 74 44 52 |
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