Santa Cruz de La Palma to Cádiz Ferry

The route from Santa Cruz de La Palma to Cádiz is the longest scheduled ferry crossing between the Canary Islands and mainland Spain. La Palma is the most north-westerly of the main islands, which puts it further from the Andalusian coast than Tenerife or Gran Canaria, and that extra distance is felt on the timetable. The service is operated exclusively by Naviera Armas (Armas Trasmediterránea) using the ferry Ciudad de Valencia, a ro-pax vessel with capacity for around 605 passengers and 240 vehicles.

The longest Atlantic haul

Because departures from La Palma usually connect through Tenerife before striking out across the open Atlantic, the total scheduled journey is exceptionally long - well beyond 44 hours, and on some itineraries approaching two and a half days end to end. If you are chasing the shortest possible time to the mainland, it is often quicker to sail La Palma to Tenerife separately and pick up a direct Tenerife-Cádiz departure; but for a single through-ticket with your vehicle, this is the one continuous booking.

Frequency, vehicles and comfort

Sailings are limited, generally around two per week with mostly afternoon departures, so the timetable dictates the trip. The ferry takes cars, vans and motorcycles as well as foot passengers.

• Cabins ranging from doubles to quadruples and suites
• Reclining tourist and reduced-mobility seating
• Café-bar, onboard shop and children's area
• Pet facilities and free Wi-Fi

For a voyage of this length a cabin is close to, and meals are usually included with cabin bookings. This is a true long-distance sea crossing for travellers who want to reach mainland Spain from the western Canaries without changing to a plane.