Port of Almeria
Encyclopedia
De Port of Almeria is a busy ferry-port in Almeria
, Spain
.
:
Take the A4: Autovia Del Sur
to exit 292 and continue via the A44
, A92
and finally the A7
. If you come from the direction of Barcelona
you can use the Autovia A-7
or the toll-road Autopista AP-7
all the way as this is the main route following the Mediterranean Sea
The crossing to the destinations in Northern-Africa take aprox. 6 hours (normal ferry to Nador
or Melilla
). This is a much longer, and therefore also more expensive, crossing then the short hops from Algeciras
to Tangier
, but it is more convenient for people traveling to the Rif
area or Algeria
.
Almeria offers also a marina
and a normal commercial port: it can receive cargo-ships, cruise-ships and also the Royal Navy uses the port.
The port offrs a large waiting and sorting-area for cars. As people often have traveled a very long distance they tend to arrive hours before departure of the ship. To prevent overheating most waiting-areas for the cars are under a roof to protect the car and it's passengers from the sun.
The main terminal building offers the offices of all the operating companies where they sell the tickets or where you can change your (prepaid) ticket for a boarding-pass. The terminal building is open 24/24 and includes a cafe\ and a small shop/kiosk for refreshments and a call-shop. Foot-passengers can wait inside the terminal building for their ship.
Embarkation for foot-passengers is situated on the 1st floor of the terminal building. After the (Spanish) immigration you use the network of footbridges to board your ship. These foorbridges can reach each key and via a moving 'last metres' one can board the ships without having to touch the ground. The loading and unloading of cars won't interfere with the (dis)embarkation of foot-passengers and also help for an efficient prccess.
Outside the main terminal building there are a few restaurants, offering the passengers a simple menu or drinks and there is also a small supermarket that is open 24 hours. There are also facilities like toilets and showers for the passengers.
boards the ship when it arrives at the piers and leaves the ship when the first warp is fastened. On departure the pilot leaves the ferry just before it passes the pier-head. A complicating factor for arriving ships is that all ferries have to swing round before docking: as the ships moor in Africa with the bow towards the key they have to dock in Almeria with the stern facing the key; otherwise all cars would have to turn on the ships or disembark driving backwards.
At the entrance of the port a large tower for the officers of the VTS. The VTS offers the staff a good view over the entrace and the entire port-area. The VTS is fitted with radar on top of the tower.
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Location
De port is located in the centre of the city. The main activity in the port is the ferry-terminal. To reach the port over the road, driving down from MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
:
Take the A4: Autovia Del Sur
Autovía A-4
The Autovía A-4 or Autopista AP-4 is a Spanish autovía and autopista route which starts in Madrid and ends in Cádiz....
to exit 292 and continue via the A44
Autovía A-44
The Autovía A-44 is a highway in Andalucia, Spain. It is also known as the Autovía de Granada / Sierra Nevada.It starts on the coast at Motril at the junction of the N340 initially being called the N-323. It heads up the gorge of the Rio Guadalfeo into the Valle de Lecrin with Las Alpujarras to the...
, A92
Autovía A-92
The Autovía A-92 is a highway in Andalusia, Spain. It is a major east–west route running north of the Sierra Nevada and is known as the Carretera Sevilla a Granada and Autovía de Andalucia....
and finally the A7
Autovía A-7
The Autovía A-7 is a Spanish autovía which starts in La Jonquera, near the French frontier and ends in Algeciras....
. If you come from the direction of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
you can use the Autovia A-7
Autovía A-7
The Autovía A-7 is a Spanish autovía which starts in La Jonquera, near the French frontier and ends in Algeciras....
or the toll-road Autopista AP-7
Autopista AP-7
The Autopista AP-7 is a Spanish autopista . It is a toll motorway that runs along the Mediterranean coast of Spain.AP-7 has two different sections :...
all the way as this is the main route following the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
The crossing to the destinations in Northern-Africa take aprox. 6 hours (normal ferry to Nador
Nador
Nador is a city located in the northeastern Rif region of Morocco. The city is a Mediterranean port on the Bḥar Ameẓẓyan lagoon , and it is the major trading center in the region for fish, fruit, and livestock...
or Melilla
Melilla
Melilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
). This is a much longer, and therefore also more expensive, crossing then the short hops from Algeciras
Algeciras
Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
to Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
, but it is more convenient for people traveling to the Rif
Rif
The Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the...
area or Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
.
Almeria offers also a marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
and a normal commercial port: it can receive cargo-ships, cruise-ships and also the Royal Navy uses the port.
Ferry terminal
The ferry-terminal is a busy terminal. Moroccan nationals living in Western-Europe use the crossings from Almeria to visit relatives in the summer. The port offers several sailings each day to different destinations in Northern-Morocco and Algeria.The port offrs a large waiting and sorting-area for cars. As people often have traveled a very long distance they tend to arrive hours before departure of the ship. To prevent overheating most waiting-areas for the cars are under a roof to protect the car and it's passengers from the sun.
The main terminal building offers the offices of all the operating companies where they sell the tickets or where you can change your (prepaid) ticket for a boarding-pass. The terminal building is open 24/24 and includes a cafe\ and a small shop/kiosk for refreshments and a call-shop. Foot-passengers can wait inside the terminal building for their ship.
Embarkation for foot-passengers is situated on the 1st floor of the terminal building. After the (Spanish) immigration you use the network of footbridges to board your ship. These foorbridges can reach each key and via a moving 'last metres' one can board the ships without having to touch the ground. The loading and unloading of cars won't interfere with the (dis)embarkation of foot-passengers and also help for an efficient prccess.
Outside the main terminal building there are a few restaurants, offering the passengers a simple menu or drinks and there is also a small supermarket that is open 24 hours. There are also facilities like toilets and showers for the passengers.
VTS: Vessel Traffic Services
As Almeria is a busy port where ships tend to arrive and/or sail at more or less the same times all ships have to use a harbour-pilot. On arrival the pilotMaritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....
boards the ship when it arrives at the piers and leaves the ship when the first warp is fastened. On departure the pilot leaves the ferry just before it passes the pier-head. A complicating factor for arriving ships is that all ferries have to swing round before docking: as the ships moor in Africa with the bow towards the key they have to dock in Almeria with the stern facing the key; otherwise all cars would have to turn on the ships or disembark driving backwards.
At the entrance of the port a large tower for the officers of the VTS. The VTS offers the staff a good view over the entrace and the entire port-area. The VTS is fitted with radar on top of the tower.
Operators and Destinations
Several shipping companies offer frequent connections with North Africa- MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
- NadorNador PortThe port of Nador is a commercial port on the Mediterranean Sea servicing the Rif area of Northern Morocco.The port is officially in Bin Anşār and shares it piers and entrance with the port of the Spanish enclave Melilla...
- FerriMaroc and Acciona TrasmediterráneaAcciona TrasmediterráneaAcciona Trasmediterránea is part of the Acciona group. It operates passengers and cargo ferries between mainland Spain and the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and northern Africa.-History:... - Al HoceimaAl HoceimaAl Hoceima is a city and port in the north of Morocco and in the center of the Rif Mountains. The Al Hoceima city region has a population of 395.644 and is the capital of the Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate region...
- Comanav en ComaritComaritComarit is a Moroccan ferry operator. The company operates ferries connecting Morocco with Spain and France.-History:Comarit was formed in 1984....
- Nador
- AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
- GhazaouetGhazaouetGhazaouet is a town and commune in Tlemcen Province in northwestern Algeria.-References:...
- SNCM - OranOranOran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
- SNCM
- Ghazaouet
- SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- MelillaMelillaMelilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
- (=Spanish enclave near Nador) - Acciona Trasmediterranea
- Melilla