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

Trasmediterranea (www.trasmediterranea.es)
Runs passenger services linking the Spanish Peninsula with the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. Trasmediterranea runs from ports in Barcelona, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, the port of Mao on Menorca and Ibiza City.

There are a lot of routes on this network, please click through to their website or see this abbreviated list:
Valencia-Ibiza (4.5 hours)
Barcelona-Mao (8.5 hours)
Barcelona-Ibiza city (8.5 hours, 14.5 hours via Palma)
Valencia-Palma (7-8 hours)
Valencia-Ibiza (4.5 hours)
Palma-Ibiza (2 hours 20 mins)
Palma-Mao (5.5 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.

Balearia (http://www.balearia.com)
Ibiza to Barcelona
Ibiza to Denia
Ibiza to Valencia
Ibiza to Formentera
Ibiza to Mallorca
Ibiza San Antonio to Barcelona
Ibiza San Antonio to Denia
Ibiza San Antonio to Valencia
Formentera to Denia
Mallorca to Denia
Mallorca to Menorca
Mallorca to Valencia
Mallorca to Barcelona
Alcudia to Barcelona
Alcudia to Ciutadella
Palma to Barcelona
Palma to Denia
Palma to Valencia
Ciutadella to Barcelona
Menorca to Barcelona
Mahon to Barcelona

Iscomar (http://www.iscomar.com)
Iscomar operates on the following routes:
Ibiza to Barcelona
Ibiza to Denia
Ibiza to Valencia
Ibiza to Palma
Ibiza to Formentera
Alcudia to Ciutadella
Palma to Barcelona
Palma to Valencia
Mahon to Barcelona
Mahon to Valencia

 

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).

 

INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS

MOROCCO
Ferry services from Spain run on the following routes: Algeciras-Tangier, Algeciras-Ceuta (Spanish Morocco), Malaga-Melilla, Almeria-Melilla, Almeria-Nador, Tarifa-Tangier and Cabo de Gata-Melilla. Generally the best route to Morocco is via Algeciras with the fastest, cheapest and most frequent schedules. The vessels are mostly car ferries, operated by Compania Trasmediterranea, Islena de Navigacion SA, Comarit, Limadet and Transtour.

Trasmediterranea (www.trasmediterranea.es) has international services to Morocco (via Tangier and Nador)
Balearia (www.balearia.com) also has routes from Tangier to Algeciras and Algeciras to Ceuta (Spanish Morocco).
FRS (http://www.frs.es) has the following routes Tangier to Algeciras, Tangier to Gibraltar, Tangier to Tarifa, Algeciras to Ceuta (Spanish Morocco).

ALGERIA
Trasmediterranea (www.trasmediterranea.es) has an international service to Algeria (via Ghazaouet and Oran).

UK
There are two ferry services to the United Kingdom:
Brittany Ferries (www.brittanyferries.com) runs from Santander to Plymouth and Portsmouth.
P&O European Ferries (www.poferries.com) runs from Bilbao to Portsmouth.

GIBRALTAR-TANGIER
Gibraltar is actually self-governing and not under Spanish sovereignty but has been included in this section. FRS (www.frs.es) runs the ferries between Gibraltar and Tangier.

ITALY
There are some routes between Spain and Italy mostly between Barcelona and ports in Italy such as Genoa and Rome. The annual schedule changes depending on the season so please check for updated schedules. Here are some of the routes:
Barcelona to Civitavecchia (Transmed and Viamare)
Barcelona to Ciutadella (Balearia)
Barcelona to Genoa (Grandi Navi Veloci)
Barcelona to Livorno, Civitavecchia or Porto Torres (Grimaldi Ferries)

 

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 towrope (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.