The iconic maritime excursion company, with 137 years of history, makes the leap to Banyoles. The company, managed by the fourth generation of the Roca family, seeks to diversify and secure its future beyond Port Vell.
The Swallows of Barcelona, one of the symbols of Port Vell since 1888, have initiated their first expansion outside the Catalan capital. The company, which has limited its activity to the Barcelona coastline for 137 years, has launched a service of excursions on Banyoles Lake, in the Pla de l'Estany. The decision responds to a diversification strategy to reduce exclusive dependence on coastal tourism and ensure the long-term viability of the business.
The company, owned by three partner families and with about forty employees, operates five vessels. Management falls to the fourth generation of the Roca family, with Manel Roca Baringo at the helm since 2019. His right-hand man is Óscar Arribas, responsible for the Swallows at the Drassanes dock, who joined in 2012 after graduating in Nautical and Maritime Transport in Barcelona.
Annual revenue hovers around three million euros, but profit varies depending on weather conditions, fuel prices, or the international context. “A rainy summer or a spike in fuel costs can suddenly alter margins,” explains the company. The company has no other businesses to rely on, making geographical diversification a priority.
The new service in Banyoles represents a change of direction for a company that had only operated at sea until now. Banyoles Lake, the largest in Catalonia, is a reference tourist and sports destination, but lacked a regular boat excursion offering. The Swallows have seen an opportunity here to transfer their business model to a freshwater environment, with a season expected to complement that of Port Vell.
The manager, Manel Roca Baringo, has stated that the goal is not to maximise profits but to maintain jobs and continue investing in the fleet. “We want the Swallows to remain an icon, but we also need to secure the future,” he declared. The company faces increasing competition at the Drassanes dock and port concessions that are tendered every four to eight years, forcing them to compete for the physical space from which they operate.
The history of the Swallows dates back to the 1888 World Expo when the Cuban Leopoldo Herrera introduced this maritime transport service in the port of Barcelona. The name comes from a Caribbean seabird, the swallow, which ventures into the ocean but always returns to port. Over the years, the brand ended up generically naming tourist vessels of this type along the entire Spanish coastline.
Currently, the company operates from Monday to Sunday all year round, with shifts alternating four days of work and four days off. This system allows them to open every day, even in the low season, and guarantees weekends and family time for the crew. In summer, from Easter to September, around 70% of customers are concentrated. During peak season, they can embark between 2,000 and 2,500 people a day, thanks to a fleet with capacities ranging from 145 to nearly 200 passengers per trip.
For the rest of the year, the decks are mainly filled with school groups and outings from recreational centres. The pressure to move towards more sustainable boats is also present, although the company has not detailed specific timelines for the electrification of the fleet.
The expansion to Banyoles comes at a time when tourism in Barcelona is recovering after the pandemic, but also when pressure on port space and competition from other nautical offerings is intensifying. The company hopes that Banyoles Lake, with its natural surroundings and appeal for families and sports enthusiasts, can generate a stable flow of visitors that compensates for the seasonality of the Barcelona port.
Residents of the province of Barcelona who wish to experience this new offering will be able to do so starting next season. The Swallows have already begun the process of adapting one of their vessels to the conditions of the lake and have established agreements with the Banyoles City Council for the allocation of a space at the municipal dock. The service is expected to begin in spring 2026, coinciding with the start of the high season.
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