Tarifa to Tangier Ferry

Two ferry companies operate the Tarifa to Tangier ferry in 2026: Baleària and Africa Morocco Link (AML). Both run fast ferries from the port of Tarifa to Tanger Ville, the port in the centre of Tangier, and the crossing takes about 1 hour. Between them there are roughly 8 to 10 sailings a day, every day of the year. One-way foot-passenger tickets start at about €27 on Ferryhopper, and €31–45 is typical. The one thing a first-timer should know: this is an international border. Bring a passport, and get it stamped by the Moroccan police on board as soon as you sail, or you will queue again on arrival.

Ferry options compared

Tarifa to Tangier is the shortest ferry crossing between Spain and Morocco, and there is no slow option. Every ferry on the route is a fast ferry or high-speed catamaran, so the choice is between the two companies and their departure times.

Baleària. Baleària won the Tarifa port concession in December 2024 and started sailing in May 2025, after FRS ended its 25-year run on the route on 4 May 2025. Ferryhopper lists the Jaume I and Avemar Dos on the route, and the Cecilia Payne was also in service in 2026. Some Baleària ships have a Neptuno business-class lounge with numbered reclining seats and USB sockets, from about €49. There is no luggage weight limit for what you can carry on board yourself.

Africa Morocco Link (AML). AML runs daily sailings with ships such as the Morocco Express 1. Its fares are often a little lower than Baleària's in Ferryhopper's monthly data. AML allows up to 30 kg of luggage free.

Both companies carry cars and motorbikes, and both have a café or snack bar, a duty-free shop and outside deck space. There are no cabins, because the crossing is so short.

Which ferry company for which traveller: pick by departure time first. If two sailings suit you, compare price. Baleària's business class is worth it only if you want a numbered seat on a busy summer boat.

Tarifa or Algeciras? Algeciras has more ferries to Morocco, but they go to Tanger Med, a large port well east of the city. For foot passengers going to Tangier itself, Tarifa to Tanger Ville is the better route. See Algeciras to Tanger Med and our Spain–Morocco ferries guide.

Timetable and season

The Tarifa to Tangier ferry runs all year, every day. Ferryhopper counts around 10 daily crossings, and Direct Ferries shows an average of about 8. Sailings are spread from early morning to late evening, and exact departure times change with the season. Baleària started with four sailings a day in each direction in May 2025 and adds more departures as summer approaches.

The busiest period is summer, especially July and August, when holiday traffic, much of it with cars, crosses the Strait. Vehicle space fills up fast then, and the port gets congested. Outside summer, foot passengers rarely have trouble getting a seat.

Watch the clock. Morocco moved permanently to GMT on 20 September 2026. Until Spain's clocks go back at the end of October, Tangier is 2 hours behind Tarifa; after that it is 1 hour behind. Timetables use local time, so a boat that leaves Tarifa at 10:00 arrives in Tangier around 09:00 local time in summer and early autumn. Check both times on your ticket before planning onward trains or tours.

Weather conditions in the Strait can delay or cancel sailings, especially strong easterly levante winds. Watch your email or the ferry company's app on windy days.

Getting to the port of Tarifa

Ferries leave from the Estación Marítima at the port of Tarifa, about a five-minute walk from the old town. The passenger terminal has ticket counters, tourist information and places to eat.

By bus. Comes buses link Tarifa with Algeciras (about 30 minutes), Cádiz (about 1 hour 45 minutes) and Seville (about 3 hours). The bus stop is close to the port.

By train. Tarifa has no train station. The nearest is in Algeciras, about 20 km away, and you continue by bus or taxi.

By car. Tarifa is on the N-340 coast road, about 20 minutes from Algeciras and 1 hour 30 minutes from Cádiz. Parking near the port is under 24-hour surveillance, and the first 30 minutes are free. Andalucia.com quotes around €18 a day for the port car park. Spaces fill up in summer.

By air. The nearest airports are Gibraltar (about 40 km), Jerez (about 120 km) and Málaga (about 150 km).

How early to arrive. Arrive 45 to 60 minutes before departure as a foot passenger. With a vehicle, allow at least 1 hour 30 minutes in summer. Spanish exit control comes before boarding.

Passport and border control

Documents. You need a valid passport. The UK government says a British passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the date you arrive in Morocco, and British citizens can stay up to 90 days as tourists without a visa. EU and many other passport holders also enter without a visa, but rules differ, so check your own government's advice. Do not rely on a national identity card unless your nationality's rules explicitly allow it.

Leaving Spain. Spain is in the Schengen area. If you are not an EU citizen, Spain's exit control records you in the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. It stores your fingerprints and facial image and replaces the old passport stamp for the Schengen side. EU citizens show a passport or ID at the exit control.

Entering Morocco. Moroccan police set up a desk in the lounge. Queue as soon as you board. The line can be long and the crossing is only about an hour, and if you have not been stamped by arrival you will wait on board or at the terminal. One person can usually take the passports for a whole group. Keep the entry stamp: the UK government warns that some travellers without one have had problems leaving Morocco.

Note that the stamp counts as entering Morocco, even while the ship is still in Tarifa. In April 2026 a Baleària ferry broke down at the dock, and about 300 passengers who had already been stamped had to wait on board for hours until an AML ship took them across.

Money. The Moroccan dirham is a closed currency. You cannot easily buy it outside Morocco, so change money or use an ATM after arrival. Foreign currency worth 100,000 dirhams or more must be declared on entry and exit.

Arriving at Tanger Ville

Ferries from Tarifa dock at Tanger Ville, the port in the centre of Tangier. It is not Tanger Med, so you do not need a long transfer. The medina is about 1 to 1.5 km away, a 15- to 20-minute walk. Small blue petit taxis wait at the port; short rides cost around 30–60 dirhams. Agree the fare or ask for the meter before you set off.

Onward travel. Tanger Ville railway station is a short taxi ride from the port. From there, Al Boraq high-speed trains run to Rabat and Casablanca, with a journey of about 2 hours 10 minutes to Casablanca.

On a day trip. Official and unofficial guides approach arriving passengers. Hire a licensed guide if you want one, and otherwise decline politely. Keep your passport with you, because you will need it for the return sailing.

Taking a car or motorbike

Both operators carry vehicles. At the Moroccan border you make a temporary admission declaration for the vehicle, often with customs officers on board. You need:

• Your passport.
• The original vehicle registration document in your name, or a power of attorney if the vehicle belongs to someone else.
• Insurance that covers Morocco. Many Green Card policies do not, but you can buy insurance at the border.
• For a hire car, a rental agreement that explicitly allows the vehicle into Morocco.

In July and August, queues for cars at both ports can be long, so arrive early.

Tickets and prices

Prices. The lowest foot-passenger fares on Ferryhopper start at about €27 one way. In most months the cheapest tickets cost €31–45, with AML often slightly cheaper. Two adults with a car start at around €186 one way. Discounts usually apply to children under 12 or 13 and to seniors over 60, and infants up to 3 usually travel free.

How to book. Buy ferry tickets online from Baleària or AML directly, on booking sites such as Ferryhopper and Direct Ferries, or at the ticket desks in the Tarifa terminal. Ferryhopper applies any active ferry offers automatically at checkout. Book a return if you are doing a day trip, so you are sure of a seat back.

Pets. Pets must be on your booking. They travel in kennels or in a carrier with you, and on open decks they must wear a lead and muzzle. Baleària also sells pet-friendly seats for animals up to 8 kg.

Tips

• Queue early for the stamp. It is the single thing that decides how fast you get off the boat.
• Sit outside for the view. On a clear day you can see both coasts of the Strait of Gibraltar from the deck.
• Mind the time gap. Set your phone to update automatically, and check that your return sailing time is in Tangier local time.
• Carry cash in dirhams for taxis once you arrive.
• More routes. See Algeciras to Ceuta, our Spain–Morocco ferries guide and the Baleària operator page.