All maritime crossings between Tangier and Tarifa were cancelled on Saturday due to strong winds in the Strait of Gibraltar. The disruption occurred during the final weekend of Operation Marhaba.
Tanger Med expects one of the summer’s biggest return peaks. MREs with some flexibility are invited to avoid, if possible, the days from August 25 to 29, which are expected to see very heavy traffic toward Europe.
Danish giant DFDS could attempt to return to the heavily used Tarifa–Tangier Ville route. But to secure the Moroccan license being put back up for tender, it will probably have to partner with a majority Moroccan-owned company.
Hundreds of passengers traveling to Nador waited for several hours in scorching heat at the port of Sète, before learning that part of their GNV ferry’s air conditioning was out of order . To leave anyway, some say they had to sign a waiver.
Faced with the massive arrival of MREs heading to Morocco, the port of Algeciras temporarily suspended the boarding of freight trucks in order to reserve more space for cars on the ferries.
Tanger Med has set its critical threshold for major summer departures. When traffic exceeds 500 vehicles per hour, the port switches to the highest alert level and immediately reinforces the resources deployed to prevent saturation.
Operation Marhaba 2026 confirms a sharp decline in crossings linking Motril to Moroccan ports. While certain routes to Tangier and Nador are holding steady or advancing, connections departing from the Andalusian port are recording spectacular drops since the start of summer.
Tanger Med is changing its rules during Marhaba 2026. Since July 15, access to the passenger terminal is reserved for travelers with a confirmed ticket for the same day.
A parliament member alerts on the high cost of maritime crossings to Morocco , particularly during the Marhaba operation. She calls on the government to act on prices and service quality.
Tanger Med Passengers has published its 2026 traffic forecasts. The highest passenger volumes are expected in July for arrivals in Morocco and in August for departures.
Morocco is preparing for a new surge in MRE arrivals this summer. After nearly 3 million passengers and 700,000 cars last year , authorities expect growth of 7 to 10%.
The Spanish city of Tarifa is once again saturated at the height of summer. Between massive tourism and Operation Marhaba (MREs), traffic becomes difficult, much to the dismay of local merchants.