{"id":100056,"date":"2026-10-26T08:17:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T08:17:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/?p=100056"},"modified":"2026-10-26T08:17:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T08:17:23","slug":"uk-to-canary-islands-by-boat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/uk-to-canary-islands-by-boat","title":{"rendered":"UK to the Canary Islands by Boat: Cruise, Ferry and Freighter Options"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"chb-post\">\n\n<p class=\"chb-updated\">Last updated: 26 October 2026 &middot; By Steve Joury, cargo trip advisor at CargoHolidays<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"chb-lede\"><strong>You can travel from the UK to the Canary Islands by boat on a no-fly cruise from Southampton, or by reaching southern Spain and taking the ferry from Huelva or C&aacute;diz, which takes around a day and a half.<\/strong> Here&rsquo;s how to get winter sun without a flight.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"chb-cta-bar\">\n<a class=\"chb-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/anfrage-fur-eine-frachtschiffreise\/\">Ask about winter voyages &rarr;<\/a>\n<a class=\"chb-btn chb-btn--ghost\" href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/frachtschiff-in-die-karibik\/\">Caribbean by cargo ship<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"chb-keyfacts\">\n<p class=\"chb-keyfacts-title\">Key facts at a glance<\/p>\n<ul><li>No-fly cruises from UK ports regularly visit the <strong>Kanarische Inseln<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Ferries sail from <strong>Huelva and C&aacute;diz<\/strong> to Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote.<\/li><li>The ferry crossing takes roughly <strong>30&ndash;40 hours<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Inter-island ferries make island-hopping easy.<\/li><li>Cars can travel on the mainland&ndash;Canaries ferries.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<nav class=\"chb-toc\" aria-label=\"Contents\">\n<p class=\"chb-toc-title\">In this guide<\/p>\n<ol><li><a href=\"#option-1-a-no-fly-cruise-from-the-uk\">Option 1: A no-fly cruise from the UK<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#option-2-train-or-ferry-to-spain-then-the-canaries-ferry\">Option 2: Train or ferry to Spain, then the Canaries ferry<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#island-hopping-by-ferry\">Island hopping by ferry<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#freighters-to-the-canaries\">Freighters to the Canaries<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#faq\">H\u00e4ufig gestellte Fragen<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n\n<h2 id=\"option-1-a-no-fly-cruise-from-the-uk\">Option 1: A no-fly cruise from the UK<\/h2>\n<p>The easiest way to go from the <strong>UK to the Canary Islands by boat<\/strong> is a cruise from Southampton or another UK port. Typical itineraries last 10 to 14 nights, visiting Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote or La Palma, often with Madeira and a Spanish or Portuguese port. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/cruises-without-flying\/\">cruises without flying<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"chb-figure\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/AdobeStock_311601159.jpeg\" alt=\"UK to Canary Islands by boat &ndash; deck view on the way to the Atlantic islands\" title=\"UK to Canary Islands by boat &ndash; deck view on the way to the Atlantic islands\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption>Winter sun without a flight: sail to the Canary Islands.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"option-2-train-or-ferry-to-spain-then-the-canaries-ferry\">Option 2: Train or ferry to Spain, then the Canaries ferry<\/h2>\n<table><thead><tr><th>Leg<\/th><th>How<\/th><th>Typische Dauer<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody>\n<tr><td>UK to Spain<\/td><td>Ferry to Santander\/Bilbao or train via Paris<\/td><td>1&ndash;2 days<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>To Huelva or C&aacute;diz<\/td><td>Train or drive<\/td><td>A day<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Ferry to the Canaries<\/td><td>Overnight ferry with cabins<\/td><td>About 30&ndash;40 hours<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n<p>Check current operators and schedules, which vary by season. See <a href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/uk-to-spain-by-boat\/\">UK to Spain by boat<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"island-hopping-by-ferry\">Island hopping by ferry<\/h2>\n<p>Once there, frequent fast ferries and conventional ferries link Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. Island hopping is easy and a great way to see the archipelago&rsquo;s very different landscapes.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"chb-figure\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/uk-to-canary-islands-by-boat-infographic-cargoholidays.jpg\" alt=\"UK to Canary Islands by boat infographic\" title=\"UK to Canary Islands by boat infographic\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption>Getting to the Canary Islands by sea.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"freighters-to-the-canaries\">Freighters to the Canaries<\/h2>\n<p>Container and ro-ro ships link the Canaries with Spain and Northern Europe, and some West Africa services call at Las Palmas. Occasionally a passenger-carrying freighter fits. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/cargo-ship-to-west-africa\/\">cargo ship to West Africa<\/a> for routes passing the islands.<\/p>\n<div class=\"chb-tip\"><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Winter is peak season in the Canaries. Book cruises and ferry cabins early for Christmas and February half-term.<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"chb-related\" aria-label=\"Verwandte Anleitungen\">\n<h2 id=\"related-guides\">Related cargo ship travel guides<\/h2>\n<div class=\"chb-grid\"><a class=\"chb-card\" href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/cruises-without-flying\/\"><span class=\"chb-card-kicker\">Cruises<\/span><span class=\"chb-card-title\">Cruises without flying<\/span><span class=\"chb-card-more\">Read guide &rarr;<\/span><\/a><a class=\"chb-card\" href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/uk-to-spain-by-boat\/\"><span class=\"chb-card-kicker\">Routes<\/span><span class=\"chb-card-title\">UK to Spain by boat<\/span><span class=\"chb-card-more\">Read guide &rarr;<\/span><\/a><a class=\"chb-card\" href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/cargo-ship-to-west-africa\/\"><span class=\"chb-card-kicker\">Freighters<\/span><span class=\"chb-card-title\">Frachtschiff nach Westafrika<\/span><span class=\"chb-card-more\">Read guide &rarr;<\/span><\/a><a class=\"chb-card\" href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/best-time-for-cargo-ship-travel\/\"><span class=\"chb-card-kicker\">Planning<\/span><span class=\"chb-card-title\">Best time for cargo ship travel<\/span><span class=\"chb-card-more\">Read guide &rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<h2 id=\"faq\">H\u00e4ufig gestellte Fragen<\/h2>\n<div class=\"chb-faq\">\n<h3>Can you get to the Canary Islands without flying?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, by cruise from a UK port or by travelling to southern Spain and taking the ferry.<\/p><h3>How long is the ferry to the Canary Islands?<\/h3>\n<p>Roughly 30 to 40 hours from Huelva or C&aacute;diz, depending on the island.<\/p><h3>Can I take my car to the Canary Islands?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, the mainland ferries carry cars.<\/p><h3>Do cruises from Southampton go to the Canaries?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, Canary Islands cruises from UK ports are very popular, especially in winter.<\/p><h3>Can I island-hop in the Canaries?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. Frequent ferries link all the main islands.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"chb-booking\">\n<p class=\"chb-booking-title\">Sail south for the winter<\/p>\n<p>Ask us about freighters to the Canaries, West Africa and the Caribbean.<\/p>\n<a class=\"chb-btn chb-btn--big\" href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/anfrage-fur-eine-frachtschiffreise\/\">Ask about winter voyages &rarr;<\/a>\n<p class=\"chb-booking-small\">Free, no-obligation quote &middot; Reply within 48 hours &middot; <a href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/frag-den-kapitan\/\">Fragen Sie den Kapit\u00e4n<\/a> &middot; <a href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wie-zu-gehen-fur-fracht-kreuzfahrt\/\">How booking works<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n    \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Can you get to the Canary Islands without flying?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"Yes, by cruise from a UK port or by travelling to southern Spain and taking the ferry.\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"How long is the ferry to the Canary Islands?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"Roughly 30 to 40 hours from Huelva or C&aacute;diz, depending on the island.\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Can I take my car to the Canary Islands?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"Yes, the mainland ferries carry cars.\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Do cruises from Southampton go to the Canaries?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"Yes, Canary Islands cruises from UK ports are very popular, especially in winter.\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Can I island-hop in the Canaries?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"Yes. Frequent ferries link all the main islands.\"\n            }\n        }\n    ]\n}<\/script>\n\n<style>\n.chb-post{--chb-navy:#0b2545;--chb-sea:#134074;--chb-teal:#0f8b8d;--chb-sand:#f4efe6;--chb-orange:#e8772e;--chb-ink:#1d2a36;--chb-muted:#5b6b7a;--chb-line:#dfe6ec;max-width:820px;margin:0 auto;color:var(--chb-ink);font-size:18px;line-height:1.75;font-family:inherit}\n.chb-post h2{font-size:1.6em;line-height:1.25;color:var(--chb-navy);margin:2.2em 0 .6em;padding-top:.4em;border-top:3px solid var(--chb-teal);scroll-margin-top:90px}\n.chb-post h3{font-size:1.18em;color:var(--chb-sea);margin:1.6em 0 .4em}\n.chb-post p{margin:0 0 1.1em}\n.chb-post a{color:var(--chb-teal);text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px}\n.chb-post a:hover{color:var(--chb-navy)}\n.chb-post ul,.chb-post ol{margin:0 0 1.2em 1.2em;padding:0}\n.chb-post li{margin:.35em 0}\n.chb-updated{font-size:.85em;color:var(--chb-muted);margin-bottom:1em}\n.chb-lede{font-size:1.12em;border-left:5px solid var(--chb-orange);padding:.2em 0 .2em 1em}\n.chb-cta-bar{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:12px;margin:1.4em 0 1.8em}\n.chb-post a.chb-btn{display:inline-block;background:var(--chb-orange);color:#fff;text-decoration:none;font-weight:700;padding:.75em 1.4em;border-radius:999px;box-shadow:0 4px 14px rgba(232,119,46,.35);transition:transform .15s,background .15s}\n.chb-post a.chb-btn:hover{background:#cf6420;color:#fff;transform:translateY(-2px)}\n.chb-post a.chb-btn--ghost{background:transparent;color:var(--chb-navy);border:2px solid var(--chb-navy);box-shadow:none}\n.chb-post a.chb-btn--ghost:hover{background:var(--chb-navy);color:#fff}\n.chb-post a.chb-btn--big{font-size:1.1em;padding:.9em 2em}\n.chb-keyfacts{background:var(--chb-sand);border-radius:14px;padding:1.2em 1.4em;margin:0 0 1.6em}\n.chb-keyfacts-title,.chb-toc-title{font-weight:800;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.06em;font-size:.8em;color:var(--chb-navy);margin:0 0 .5em}\n.chb-keyfacts ul{list-style:none;margin:0}\n.chb-keyfacts li{padding-left:1.6em;position:relative}\n.chb-keyfacts li:before{content:\"&#9875;\";position:absolute;left:0;color:var(--chb-teal)}\n.chb-toc{border:1px solid var(--chb-line);border-radius:14px;padding:1em 1.4em;margin:0 0 1.6em;background:#fff}\n.chb-toc ol{margin:0 0 0 1.2em;font-size:.95em}\n.chb-toc a{text-decoration:none}\n.chb-figure{margin:1.8em 0;text-align:center}\n.chb-figure img{width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:14px;display:block}\n.chb-figure figcaption{font-size:.85em;color:var(--chb-muted);margin-top:.5em;font-style:italic}\n.chb-post table{width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;margin:1.2em 0 1.6em;font-size:.92em;display:block;overflow-x:auto}\n.chb-post th{background:var(--chb-navy);color:#fff;text-align:left;padding:.65em .8em;white-space:nowrap}\n.chb-post td{padding:.6em .8em;border-bottom:1px solid var(--chb-line);vertical-align:top}\n.chb-post tr:nth-child(even) td{background:#f8fafb}\n.chb-tip{background:#e9f6f6;border-left:5px solid var(--chb-teal);border-radius:0 12px 12px 0;padding:1em 1.2em;margin:1.4em 0}\n.chb-tip strong:first-child{color:var(--chb-teal)}\n.chb-related{margin-top:2.5em}\n.chb-grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(2,1fr);gap:14px}\n.chb-post a.chb-card{display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:.3em;border:1px solid var(--chb-line);border-radius:14px;padding:1em 1.1em;text-decoration:none;background:#fff;transition:box-shadow .15s,transform .15s}\n.chb-post a.chb-card:hover{box-shadow:0 8px 24px rgba(11,37,69,.12);transform:translateY(-2px)}\n.chb-card-kicker{font-size:.72em;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.08em;color:var(--chb-orange);font-weight:800}\n.chb-card-title{color:var(--chb-navy);font-weight:700;line-height:1.35}\n.chb-card-more{font-size:.85em;color:var(--chb-teal)}\n.chb-faq h3{background:#f8fafb;border-radius:10px;padding:.6em .9em;margin-bottom:.3em}\n.chb-faq p{padding:0 .9em}\n.chb-booking{margin:2.5em 0 1em;padding:2em 1.6em;border-radius:18px;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,var(--chb-navy),var(--chb-sea) 60%,var(--chb-teal))}\n.chb-booking-title{font-size:1.5em;font-weight:800;margin-bottom:.3em}\n.chb-booking p{color:#e8f0f7}\n.chb-booking-small{font-size:.82em;margin-top:1em}\n.chb-booking-small a{color:#fff}\n@media (max-width:640px){.chb-post{font-size:17px}.chb-grid{grid-template-columns:1fr}.chb-post h2{font-size:1.35em}.chb-cta-bar a.chb-btn{width:100%;text-align:center}}\n<\/style>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last updated: 26 October 2026 &middot; By Steve Joury, cargo trip advisor at CargoHolidays You can travel from the UK to the Canary Islands by boat on a no-fly cruise from Southampton, or by reaching southern Spain and taking the ferry from Huelva or C&aacute;diz, which takes around a day and a half. Here&rsquo;s how [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":100006,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single3.php","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1459],"tags":[1642,1770,1791],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100056"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100056"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100056\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100057,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100056\/revisions\/100057"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100056"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=100056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}