Gulf of Valencia

The Gulf of Valencia connected the Valencian shore with western Mediterranean routes, but its largest city lacked a naturally sheltered harbour. On the beach of the Grao, a wooden landing stage known as the Pont de Fusta was authorised in the late fifteenth century. Attempts to improve port facilities repeatedly encountered floods from the Turia and the growth of the sandy shoreline. Small boats carried cargo between the beach and ships anchored farther offshore.

The same coast became an embarkation zone during the expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609. Royal orders directed families toward designated ports for transportation to North Africa, turning established sea routes into instruments of forced displacement. Maritime commerce nevertheless expanded over the following centuries. Valencia obtained trading privileges with other kingdoms in 1679 and with the Americas in 1791, widening the commercial reach of this exposed Mediterranean waterfront.