A new ferry service is being tested between the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and El Aaiún in the Western Sahara. Facilitating easier travel between the Eastern Canaries and the African mainland.
The Canarian shipping company Naviera Armas launched a trial run on Sunday 7th March as the first step towards establishing this route on a regular weekly basis.
The ferry to El Aaiún is planned to run every Saturday night from the Port of Las Palmas, arriving the following morning. The trial run was carried out by the Volcan de Tejeda satisfactorily, with docking manoeuvres completed successfully. The return journey is scheduled for midday on Sunday so that the boat docks again at the port of Las Palmas by seven in the evening.
This new service will be coordinated with other ferries between the islands, so that residents asnd tourists on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura can easily access the new route.
The Volcan de Tejeda is a multi-purpose craft with the capacity to carry 350 passengers and 1,200 cubic metres of cargo. It is hoped that this will help open the door to trade between the islands and the north African town as well as increasing tourist visits.
It will even be possible to travel with a car to El Aaiún, where travellers can connect with the coastal road that runs from Tangier to Dakar and connects with the motorway that runs from Agadir.
