OPE 26 Southbound peak ends below 2025 record

FerryThe first phase of Operation Crossing the Strait 2026 has been completed with 3,897 roundtrips transporting 1.14m passengers and 287,225 passenger vehicles. Algeciras and Tarifa account for the lion’s share in the period from June 15th to August 10th, with Algeciras recording 2982 vessel rotations, 861,686 passengers and 238,116 vehicles. Compared with 2025, 6.3% fewer vessel departures have been made, transporting 3.1% fewer passengers and a reduction of 2.3% in passenger vehicles.

While Tarifa was one of the few ports to experience an increase in traffic, mainly due to the new Balearia fastferry connection to Tangier Ville, Algeciras experienced a larger downturn, with a 7.3% drop in passenger numbers and 5.6% reduction in vehicle traffic. The Northbound phase of OPE26 has already begun, with traffic peaks expected in the last weeks of August.

aug 12 2026