There are basically as of 2023 exactly two providers of shipping from mainland Spain to the Canary Islands: Armas and Fred Olson Express. Tickets can be booked directly via the respective pages of these operators. Another option is to book via ferry comparison portals such as Directferry. There are advantages and disadvantages for both options – a direct booking and a booking via a comparison portal.

Advantages and disadvantages of direct booking

Advantages of a direct booking are from our point of view:

• • The ferry provider is the direct contractual partner. You book directly with the provider and an incorrect transmission of the seat reservation is less likely than via a third-party provider.
  • Availability of the seats is up to date

Disadvantages of a direct booking are from our point of view:

• • Not all connections are always displayed, there are sometimes more connections listed with comparison portals than with the direct providers.
  • With a direct booking, the connections cannot be mixed with several ferry providers. Thus, some connections between the islands are longer than they could be.
  • No price advantages with early booking, these can be clearly larger over a comparison portal far in advance (several months in advance)

Ferries from Huelva and Cadiz

From the Spanish peninsula there are two starting ports for shipping to the Canary Islands. These are Huelva and Cadiz. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the departure port already when booking, not that the ferry leaves at a different place than you meant. In addition, the connections to our knowledge always lead over the two best developed islands: Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Therefore, it is always worth considering whether you want to start directly on one of these islands into the Canary Island life or with a direct transfer to one of the other Canary Islands: Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Gomera, La Palma or El Hierro.

Duration of the crossing

The crossing between the Spanish mainland and the Canary Islands regularly takes between 34h and 38h. This depends on the chosen destination, the weather and the volume of cargo that will be loaded and unloaded. In addition, connecting transfers to other islands besides the main ports of arrival Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria take up additional time.

Accommodation on the crossing

There are different classes of accommodation on the ship. We made two trips in the standard lounge seat. This is comparable to an airplane seat which offers a little more legroom and padding, but no more. The seats are not assigned to your booking. Accordingly, upon arrival on the ship itself you must find the place which fits best for you. However, there are few limits to your creativity. We have seen other people on the ship who put camping mattresses between the seats or rolled out sleeping bags. A lot of things are allowed, either bring your stuff directly to the lounge at boarding or get stuff during fixed time windows for visiting the garage during the crossing. Unfortunately, there is no real reclining position in these seats, so the crossing can be rather exhausting.

Premium lounge seats are the better choice, these can be booked for an extra charge and offer more space as well as an improved reclining position with an additional leg rest. Unfortunately, we do not know whether the seats are assigned or whether the seats are also self-selected there.

Cabins with and without outside windows are certainly the most pleasant way to spend the many hours on the ferry. However, the surcharge of a cabin is considerable. According to our price comparisons with rather short-term booking (2 months before departure for the outward trip and 1 month for the return trip), the surcharge is around 600€ per crossing for two passengers.

Catering on the crossing

There are two restaurants on the ferry. In the low season in winter only the self-service restaurant is open. For a fixed price of 25€ per person and crossing, up to 3 meals a day are included (without drinks). The menu plan is rather simple, but there is always a choice between different main courses, an appetizer and salad and desserts. So, all in all a fair offer. However, if you have special wishes for your food, for example if you are a vegetarian or otherwise have to or want to consciously avoid certain ingredients, this of course limits the offer. Anyways, it is quite normal to bring your own food and to consume it there in between the opening hours of the restaurant. We solved this like this on the return trip and were more satisfied as vegetarians than with the self-service restaurant.

Loading the vehicle onto the ferry

On these ferries, you drive yourself onto the ship and are briefed by the staff. However, the loading is always a game of time, because it usually takes quite long from check-in to the actual loading onto the ship. Depending on the size and height of the vehicle, it will be your turn to drive on the ship sooner or later.

It may happen that the staff, depending on the parking space in the ship, will ask you to drive backwards onto the ship. Therefore, a basic confidence in your maneuvering skills is beneficial. Especially if you are traveling with a trailer rig! The staff is very knowledgeable and has a special eye to make sure you don’t get too close to any other vehicle. So, this task is definitely solvable.

Ferry connections between the Canary Islands

To book transfers between different Canary Islands a very short lead time is sufficient – but in our opinion it is still recommended to book in advance, so that there is not a forgiven journey to the port. A few days in advance or even only one night in advance is enough in most cases to still catch a ferry between the islands. Pricewise, of course, this is not ideal, the further in advance, the better prices are usually granted. However, for spontaneous people like us, booking on short notice is the bigger plus.

For ferry connections between the islands, there are various ports in addition to the major ports of the connections to the mainland. So always look exactly from which port the ferry leaves. During our transfer from Fuerteventura to Tenerife, we almost missed the connecting ferry when we changed to Gran Canaria, because it did not depart from the same port as we arrived in Gran Canaria.

With that you have a first impression about the ferries to the Canary Islands and among the Canary Islands.