Spain Cruise Ports
Spain is one of the world’s most popular countries for holidaymakers to visit as you can enjoy a sunny beach holiday on its Mediterranean coast, a cultural and foody getaway on its northern coast and you can also visit some of the world’s greatest cities including the likes of Barcelona.
Then of course there are the numerous Spanish Islands, from the Balearics to the Canary Islands that each offer something different for visitors to enjoy.
Whilst a regular holiday will allow you to take in one or possibly 2 of those things but with all of the added stress of lots of travel, changing hotels and sorting flights or trains, a cruise holiday allows you to experience them all on the same holiday and best of all, you simply go to sleep and wake up in a new destination each day.
See the very best that Spain has to offer on a stress free holiday by enjoying a cruise to Spain from a choice of local cruise ports including the likes of Dover, Newcastle and of course Southampton or start your holiday at the impressive port of Barcelona or in the Canaries to take away those early sea days.
Cruises To Spain
Cruise Holidays To Spain
If you are looking for a cruise holiday to Spain, you are in the right place. We review all of the most popular ports of call in Spain including the mainland and the islands and show you how and where to book a great cruise deal for when you have found the perfect destination for you and your family.
Due to the popularity of cruises to the country and the proximity of Spain to the United Kingdom, it will come as no surprise that there is a huge range of cruise lines and cruise ships to choose from when looking for a cruise holiday to Spain but that in many ways can make it more confusing.
Thankfully our guides breakdown the good and the bad for all of the destinations in Spain with a cruise port, to make the decision much easier.
Spain Cruise Guide
Popular Ports in Spain
There are lots of fantastic cruise ports in Spain and on Spanish Islands including the always popular Barcelona, Palma (on Majorca), Las Palmas (on Gran Canaria), Santa Cruz (on Tenerife), Valencia, Malaga and Bilbao (Getxo).
Spanish Cruise Destinations
The choice of destinations in Spain for a cruise holiday is vast, with just about every major town and city on the vast Spanish coast offering a cruise terminal.
To make it simpler, we have broken the ports of call for Spanish cruises down into 4 key areas; the Atlantic Coast in the north of the country, the Mediterranean coast in the South of the country, the Balearic Islands in the middle of the Med and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off of the coast of Africa.
Vigo, located in the north-west of Spain and near to the Portuguese border, is a great stopping off point either before or after crossing the Bay of Biscay.
The city is small enough to explore on your own but big enough to have lots to offer visitors including a historic castle.
The historic city of Gijon offers lots of sites of interest for visitors including a number of historical sites, lots of modern art and as one of the largest cities in Spain, there is also a thriving city entre full of shops, bars, cafes and restaurants to really allow you to enjoy an authentic Spanish day.
Bilbao is one of Spain’s leading cities and is famed for the Guggenheim museum but there is so much more to this northern Spanish city that can be easily explored on your own from the port area of Getxo.
The port city of Santander is a fascinating place to explore on foot thanks to a great mix of the new and the old as much of the fromer Medieval town was lost during a great fire in 1941.
With lots of ornate building, beautiful parks, and sandy beaches- there is lots of cruises to enjoy in Santander.
Huelva is a small port city near to the Portuguese border in the entrance to the Mediterranean which is a stopping off port for smaller cruise ships.
Cadiz is one of the oldest cities of the Med and is still one of the most popular with tourists thanks to lots of fascinating sites of interest and thanks to its thriving port, which welcomes many cruise ships each year.
The city also acts as a gateway for those visiting the South West of Andalucía including the must visit city of Seville.
For millions of holidaymakers, the city of Malaga is the entrance port for holidays on the Costa del Sol but no matter if you visit the city by plane, ferry and of course on a cruise ship, you really should not overlook what is on offer in Malaga itself.
The city has a thriving town centre, beautiful beaches and a number of attractions including a beautiful fortress which dominates the city.
The historic port city of Almeria in Andalusia has a fascinating past that can be explored as you walk around the narrow streets of the old town.
The Roman city of Cartagena in the region of Murcia, is always a highlight of any Mediterranean cruise as it offers the chance to step back in time as you explore the cobbled streets and visit the cities many attractions including the ancient city walls and the stunning Roman Theatre of Carthago Nova.
Perhaps better known as a beach holiday getaway for millions of tourists every year, Alicante is also a popular stopping of point for cruise ships.
Valencia is a great city that mixes the new with the old and it is also a seaside holiday resorts with lots of beautiful sandy beaches just waiting for your to make the most of the Mediterranean weather.
The historic city of Tarragona, located to the south-west of Barcelona, offers the chance to enjoy the history of the region as the city was a focal point of Roman Empire, the Union of Spain, the Peninsular War, and the Spanish Civil War.
The city of Barcelona is arguably the jewel of the Mediterranean and is the port of choice for many cruises to the region thanks to the many iconic sites of interest, the beautiful beaches, and the thriving city centre.
Barcelona is the capital of the Catalan region and merges both Spanish and Catalan culture together for a truly memorable port on any cruise.
Palma is the capital city of the Island of Majorca (Mallorca) and offers lots for visitors to enjoy including beautiful beaches, a stunning marina, a thriving city centre full of bars, cafes and shops and lots of attractions including the railway of Soller, the beautiful city hall, the Bellver Castle and the famous Palam Cathedral that overlooks the cruise port in Palma de Mallorca.
Whilst it is the clubbing scene that Ibiza is famed for, there is so much more to this beautiful island with lots of idyllic scenery, stunning beaches and with cruises calling into the capital city of Ibiza Town, the old town is the place to be to get a true Ibizan experience.
Mao-Mahon is the capital of Menorca and is the port of call for cruises to the small Balearic island that is known for its relaxed vibe and for its stunning natural beauty.
For more information about cruise holidays to the Canaries, please read our Canary Islands cruise guide.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital city of the Canary Islands and the capital of the island of Tenerife but it is also the port of call for cruise ships heading for the country.
The city is great for those simply wanting a day of exploring on foot although it is also a great base for exploring the many attractions of Tenerife including the iconic Mount Teide.
The popular beach destination of Fuerteventura also makes for a great port of call on a cruise as ships dock in the capital city of Puerto del Rosario which makes for a great days of sightseeing and shopping or you can head to one of the great nearby beaches.
As with all of the Canary Islands, cruise ships stopping at Lanzarote call into the capital city with Arrecife offering a good range of beaches and attractions or you can use the good transportation connections to explore the whole of Lanzarote.
The port of Santa Cruz in La Palma allows for a day of exploring the islands capital city, walking through the famous sand dunes or you can simply enjoy a day of relaxing on one of the many nearby beaches.
For more information about cruise holidays to the Canaries, please read our Canary Islands cruise guide.
Popular Cruise Lines
Here are our top cruise lines offering holidays in Spain.
Spain
The country of Spain is one of the most historic in the world and much of that history, dating right back to the Roman period, can be enjoyed at many of its leading port towns and cities and the best way to see as any of them as possible is on a cruise to Spain.
Spain’s history is also one full of naval battle and maritime might and that has led to plenty of ports spread almost evenly around the whole of the Spanish Atlantic Coast and the Spanish Mediterranean coast, so the choice of destinations for those looking to sail to Spain on a cruise is a wide and various one.
The country is also one full of contrasts, from the luscious and green northern coast to the sun drenched and barren southern coast and the from the Catalan culture of the Balearic Islands to the year round sun of the Canary Islands- a cruise to Spain can be whatever you want it to be or why not pick one that calls into numerous ports and that gives you the best of all of Spain’s attributes.
Whilst smaller ports of calls and the islands allow you to simply set off on your won and stroll around town or to head to the nearest beach for a day of relaxing, you can also enjoy action packed days of exploring some of the biggest and best cities in Europe.
Cities such as Valencia, Bilboa, Seville and Barcelona are all easily reached on a cruise and are all well worth exploring with the only difficulty been taking all that they have to offer in during a single day ashore.
From our point of view and from the point of view of those wanting to a cruise holiday to Spain, the best aspect of the country is arguably the choice of cruise lines and the choice of cruise ships.
All parts of the country can be reached directly from a number of UK ports including on some of the biggest and newest ships from the world’s most popular cruise lines.
There are also a number of smaller lines offering a more traditional style of cruises that go from the UK to Spain and for those who enjoy a more luxurious experience, you will be pleased to know that there is also a wide range of high end cruise lines that offer trips to the country.
If you do not want the day or 2 at sea to start and end your holiday, there are also lots of options for starting your holiday in the country with the port of Barcelona been one of the biggest and busiest in the world.
You can of course add in a short stay before or after your cruise allowing you to start in the country and really immerse yourself in Spanish or Catalan culture but no matter how you want to enjoy your holiday, our guides to cruising in Spain will make the choices seem much simpler to make.
Best Time To Visit Spain
Here at CruiseHols.co.uk we bring you all of the information you will ever need to choose the right cruise destination for you and your family.
Our destination guides include everything from ports to attractions and excursion to the positives and negatives of the destination.
Cruises From UK
Spain is full of incredible cruise ports and with Spanish cruse ports offering one of the widest varieties of destinations to visit, it is no surprise that so many British want to visit the country on a cruise holiday.
The great news for those who do want to do just that is that the UK offers one of the widest range of itineraries heading to all parts of Spain including taking in Spanish cruise ports on the mainland and its islands.
If you want to visit a Spanish cruise port without the need for flying, cruise port sin Spain can be visited on a range of round-trip itineraries including shorter trips to the north of the country and longer one to the Mediterranean Spanish cruise ports and Spanish cruise ports across the Balearic and Canary Islands.
There are also a wide range of repositioning cruises that visit ports around Spain, that allow you to spend more time exploring the country and also you can enjoy a land holiday in Spain before or after your cruise adventure.
Cruises From Southampton
Although there are a number of cruise port sin the UK that visit a wide selection of Spanish cruise ports, it is form the UK leading cruise port of Southampton that offers the widest range of itineraries, ships and lines.
