Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a busy place where fishing boats, commercial ships, passenger ships, and sports activities all come together. It sits on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and is looked after by the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which also takes care of all the ports in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, including the islands of El Hierro, La Gomera, La Palma, and Tenerife.

This port is very important for the Canary Islands because it handles many passengers—about 23% of all sea travel to the islands starts or ends here. Besides connecting the islands by ferry, the port is also a stop for many shipping lines that travel to Europe, Africa, and America. Stretching from the fishing area of San Andrés to muelle de Hondura, the port covers about twelve kilometers, making it one of the longest in the Canary Islands.

In 2016, this port was named one of the three biggest cruise ports in the world by Seatrade Cruise Med, sharing this title with the Port of Southampton in the UK and the cruise terminal Kai Tak in the Port of Hong Kong in China. More recently, in 2023, a report said the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the third most efficient port in Spain (after Algeciras and Barcelona) and the ninth most efficient in all of Europe. Next to the port stands a famous building called the Auditorio de Tenerife.

Characteristics

The Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is very important for the Canary Islands. It is the top place for cruise passengers, welcoming 607,000 people in 2011, and it catches the most fresh fish in the islands, though this amount is small, with only 5,400 tonnes that year.

The port is also a key spot for moving passengers between islands, with 1,750,000 people using it in 2011. While it tries to be a big spot for moving goods between Europe, Africa, and America, it mostly handles just a tiny bit of cargo. In 2011, it managed 330,000 TEUS, but only a very small part of this was cargo moving through. The port has a very modern cruise terminal that can welcome up to 10,000 passengers at once, with many services for visitors.

Some of the world’s biggest cruise ships, like the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2, have visited the port. Being close to two international airports helps it be a good base for cruises.

Sisters ports

The Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has a special connection with the Port of Shenzhen in China. This shows how ports around the world work together.