puerto
/ˈpweɾto/masculine
The Spanish word for harbor is puerto.
The term puerto is used to refer to both a maritime harbor and a commercial port.
Meaning: for ships (noun)
Which one should you use?
While puerto is the general term, other words may be more specific. Dársena refers to a harbor or quay where boats dock, and cala describes a small, sheltered bay or cove.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, dársena is a common term for a harbor or quay where boats dock. In Spain and parts of Latin America, cala is used to describe a small, sheltered bay or cove.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
puerto is a masculine noun, so it requires masculine articles such as el or un. The plural form is puertos.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpweɾto/
Did you know?
- The word puerto is also used to describe a mountain pass, the lowest point between two peaks where a road crosses a range.
- The phrase llegar a buen puerto is used idiomatically to say that a project or plan has been successfully completed.
- In Spanish, the term puerto is used in computing to refer to a hardware or software 'port', such as a USB port.
Examples in context
- Vimos muchos barcos en el puerto.We saw many ships in the harbor.This sentence shows how to use puerto when talking about ships in a harbor.Tatoeba #730631 by Shishir, translation #263018 by CK
- El barco está ahora en el puerto.The ship is now in the harbor.This sentence describes the location of a ship using puerto.Tatoeba #3126040 by marcelostockle, translation #45683 by CK
- El barco echó el ancla en el puerto.The ship dropped anchor in the harbor.This sentence uses puerto in the context of a ship dropping anchor.Tatoeba #5137720 by albrusgher, translation #842911 by J_S
- El puerto de Barcelona es uno de los más importantes de Europa.The harbor of Barcelona is one of the most important in Europe.
- Me gusta pasear por el puerto los fines de semana.I enjoy strolling around the harbor on weekends.
- Vamos a la marina a alquilar un bote para la tarde.Let's go to the harbor to rent a boat for the afternoon.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are walking along the waterfront.
- LucíaEl puerto es muy grande.The harbor is very large.
- MateoSí, y tiene muchos pescadores.Yes, and it has many fishermen.
- Lucía¿Ves ese barco en el puerto?Do you see that ship in the harbor?
- MateoEs un barco de carga muy bonito.It is a very beautiful cargo ship.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “harbor” translations and entries puerto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
