A certain port has once again cemented its status as Andalucia’s cruise capital, topping the region for ship calls this summer.
More than 20 tourist liners are due to dock in the city this August – nine of them already in the first fortnight – putting it ahead of Malaga, its closest rival.
The top cruising destination in the region, according to the latest figures, is Cadiz
But the shine hides a dip. In August 2024, Cadiz welcomed 28 ships and nearly 71,000 passengers. This August, the total will fall short.
READ MORE: This is the best province to visit in Andalucia, according to tourists
In Malaga, 19 cruise ships carrying more than 44,000 passengers are scheduled for this month, with giant vessels like the Aidacosma and the Arvia – the latter also making a stop in Cadiz – swelling numbers.
Last August, Malaga hosted 16 stops and just over 40,900 passengers.
The contest between Andalucía’s two cruise powerhouses is not confined to August. In the first six months of 2025, Cadiz chalked up 141 cruise calls and 210,000 passengers. Malaga handled more ships – 151 – but fewer passengers, 206,252.
Looking back at the 2024 full-year balance sheet, Cadiz was still well ahead: 696,000 passengers and 351 cruise calls, compared to Malaga’s 470,000 passengers across 285 calls.
Beyond the Cadiz-Malaga duel, other Andalusian ports operate on a different scale.
- Almeria logged just one cruise ship this August, the Wind Surf, carrying 342 passengers. Through June 2025 the port counted 7,306 passengers across 14 calls. For all of 2024 it managed only 20 calls and 12,397 passengers.
- Motril (Granada) expects two stops this August. The first half of 2025 saw 24 ships and 21,202 passengers. Last year, it hosted 39 calls and 58,800 passengers, an improvement on earlier seasons.
- Sevilla’s Las Delicias dock will see two calls this August, slightly fewer than the three logged in 2024, each bringing under a thousand passengers. By June 2025, Sevilla had registered 9,524 passengers from 41 stops, compared with 21,301 passengers from 74 stops in the whole of 2024.
Cruise boom continues
Despite fluctuations, the overall trajectory remains strong. Puertos del Estado data confirms Andalucia is consolidating its place on Mediterranean and Atlantic cruise itineraries, bringing in international liners and steady passenger traffic.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
