Ferries
are an easy means of access to Spain's outlying
islands and across to Morocco if you want
to avoid more expensive air fares. Ferries
also cross to the UK however with cheap
flights available through Ryan Air and Easy
Jet to UK centres it's probably only for
those with a lot of luggage, a car or time
on their hands.
SPANISH DESTINATIONS
This list details the Spanish ports in Spain
and the destinations where ferries travel
to from these ports:
Barcelona - Ballearic Islands
Valencia - Ballearic Islands
Palma de Mallorca - Ballearic Islands
Ballearic Islands (Ibiza, Menorca) - mainland
eg. Barcelona, Valencia
Alicante - Sant Antoni, Ibiza, Palma de
Mallorca (Ballearic Islands)
Algeciras - Tangier (Morocco), Ceuta (Morocco),
Melilla (Morocco)
Cadiz - Canary Islands
Denia - Ballearic Islands
Cabo de Gata - Melilla (Morocco)
Tarifa-Tangier
Girbraltar-Tangier
BALLEARIC ISLANDS (includes Menorca,
Ibiza and Mallorca)
Trasmediterranea (tel. 902 454645)
Runs from ports in Barcelona (tel. 93 2959000),
Valencia (tel. 96 3676512), Palma de Mallorca
(tel. 971 405014), the port of Mao on Menorca
(tel. 971 366050) and Ibiza City (tel. 971
315100).
Routes include Valencia-Ibiza, Barcelona-Mao
(9 hours), Barcelona-Ibiza city (9.5 hours,
14.5 hours via Palma), Valencia-Palma (8.5
hours), Valencia-Ibiza (7 hours), Palma-Ibiza
(4.5 hours), Palma-Mao (6.5 hours)
In summer Trasmeditteranea operates faster
services including:
Barcelona-Palma (4.5 hours), Valencia-Palma
(6.25 hours), Valencia-Ibiza (3.25 hours)
and Palma-Ibiza (2.25 hours).
Inter-island routes include Palma-Ibiza
and Palma-Mao. Ibiza-Formentea (25 minutes
by fast ferry, 1 hour by regular ferry).
20-25 ferries arrive daily at La Savina
on the north-west coast of the island from
Ibiza.
Flebasa (tel. 96 5784011)
Operates from Valencia and Alicante to Sant
Antoni, Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca (via
Ibiza).
Four daily ferries also run between Cituadella
on Menorca (tel. 971 480012) and Port d'Alcudia
on Mallorca.
ACCOMODATION
Obviously this will depend on your mode
of transport. If you are coming ashore at
night you may consider some of the accommodation
options we offer through our booking
engine. If you are camping on a water
route make sure you practice low impact
camping (i.e what you bring in you take
away – note that on some water ways
even human waste is supposed to be brought
out).
MOROCCO
Ferry sevices run from Algeciras-Tangier
(9 per day, 2.5 hours), Algeciras-Ceuta
(12 per day, 1.5 hours), Gibraltar-Tangier
(Idriss II, two hous), Malaga-Melilla (Compania
Trasmeditteranean, 8 hours, 6 per week),
Almeria-Melilla (Compania Trasmediteranea,
6 per week), Almeria-Nador, Tarifa-Tangier
(Transtour, once daily, 1 hour) and Cabo
de Gata - Melilla.
The best route is to Algeciras with faster,
cheaper and most frequent schedules. The
vessels are mostly car ferries, operated
by Comapnia Trasmediterranea, Islena de
Navigacion SA, Comarit, Limadet and Transtour.
Ceuta (12 per day) and Tangier (9 per day)
also have frequent services.
UK
There are two ferry services to the United
Kingodm. Brittany Ferries (tel. 0990 360360
UK) runs between Plymouth and Santander
twice weekly between March and November
(24 hour journey) and a weekly service between
Portsmouth and Santander (30 hours).
P&O European Ferries (tel. 0990 980980
UK) runs from Portsmouth to Bilbao (35 hours)
twice weekly most of the year.
GIBRALTAR-TANGIER
Gibraltar is actually self governing and
not under Spanish sovereignty but has been
included in this section. Three ferries
a week run between Gibraltar and Tangier
on Idriss II. The crossing takes 2 hours.
ITALY-CORSICA
Ferries to Corsica leave from Genova, Livorno,
Savona and S. Teresa di Gallura. All of
these ports can be reached by car or train.
Companies include Moby Lines, Corsica Ferries
and Saremar. Reservations and schedules
are available online at www.traghettiservice.com.
The first ferry from Genova leaves at 9am
and arrives at 1.45pm. It returns at 2.45pm
to Genova at 7.30pm. The annual schedule
changes depending on the season so please
check for updated schedules. From Livorno
the ferry leaves at 10am and arrives at
2pm. It returns at 3.30pm and arrives in
Livorno at 7.30pm.
SAFETY
Weather conditions can change fast on water.
Know the weather forecast and the expected
weather at that time of year. Also keep
an eye on tides and estimated sun down times.
Always take a medical kit with you. Remember
any trip on the water should be planned
bearing in mind it could turn into an overnight
trip even if it is supposed to be a 1-day
activity. The best solution for the first
signs of hypothermia are a warm, sweet drink.
Take a compass, first aid kit and additional
supplies of food and water with you.
BOATING
IN SPAIN
If you are planning to do your own sailing,
kayaking or canoeing trip then you need
to prepare adequately. We would assume people
doing their own kayaking or canoeing trips
will have adequate experience and skill
on the water and examine the route they
are taking carefully. Some of the following
handy hints and absolute essentials should
be obvious: - a basic repair kit and safety
equipment for your boat. This will include
extra rope (make sure it is tied up and
out of the way), life jackets, a tow rope
(if you need to help someone out), flares
etc.
- extra snack food and water (it can be a long way between towns in some
parts, particularly if you get marooned with an injury or get lost!)
- pack light! You can buy extra food as you go and you really only need
basic water gear and a change of clothes if you go into towns.
- get some maps (detailed for any small rivers that you might take)
- itinerary - give someone a copy of your itinerary and check in with them
every few days so they know you are okay.
- learn some Spanish that you will need
to use in small towns or on the water for
directions.
AFerry.to
Book ferry crossings to/from England, Ireland,
France, Scotland, Spain, Greece, and Italy
online. Includes ferry timetable with real
time pricing and availability.
http://www.aferry.to/
Ferrybooker.com: Ferries & tunnel to
France, Ireland and Europe
Ferry Quotes and Booking, Select your route
eg. Dover - Calais.
http://www.ferrybooker.com/
Direct Ferries - discount bookings for ferries
between the UK and Europe.
http://www.directferries.com/
Brittany Ferries - Timetables and printable
schedules of outbound and inbound sailings
http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/index.cfm?articleid=810
