• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
The Port of Almería concludes this Tuesday the Operation Strait Crossing (OPE), known in Morocco as Operation Marhaba ('welcome' in Arabic) and carried out between June 15 and September 15, with a traffic of 603,640 passengers and 151,782 vehicles (up to September 14 included), data that reaffirm its position as the second port in the national system, after Algeciras, within the framework of the largest seasonal movement of travelers in Europe and one of the largest in the world.
'The total figures remain in line with the previous year, with a slight increase of 1.5% in passengers and 3% in vehicles, also growing close to 3% in the departure phase, which is a very positive figure considering that the total number of travelers who embarked in the seven Spanish ports participating in the OPE fell by 3.1% in that phase,' says the president of the Port Authority of Almería, Rosario Soto, who adds the agility and fluidity with which the operation has been carried out and the success of reorganizing pre-boarding areas by changing their orientation.
'First of all, I want to congratulate the entire team of the port authority, especially the Port Police and the Operations Area for the work carried out for the successful development of the OPE, also to thank the coordination with the Government Subdelegation and all involved administrations and organizations, as well as the work of the State security forces and bodies and the commitment of the shipping companies Armas-Trasmediterránea, Baleària, GNV, and AML to the Port of Almería,' Soto pointed out.
During these three months, a period that registers the highest number of displacements between Europe and Africa, the Port of Almería's offer, in its connections with Melilla, Nador (Morocco), Oran, and Ghazaouet in Algeria, has had an excellent response from demand, with the bulk of the passengers, around 75%, corresponding to the line connecting with Nador.
The Port Authority of Almería has invested nearly 1.6 million euros in OPE 2026, 37% more than in 2025. The largest investments for OPE 2026 have been allocated to facility improvements, accounting for 52% of the total, and to strengthening human resources, which represents 38% of the budget.
Among the new features in facilities for this year's operation at the Port of Almería, the APA has carried out a comprehensive reorganization of the passenger pre-boarding area, which has consisted of changing the orientation of vehicle circulation, aligning it with the orientation of the security forces' control booths, with the aim of optimizing traffic flow, improving flow segregation, and facilitating destination differentiation. Likewise, urban furniture has been renewed, pavement rehabilitated, water fountains replaced, lighting modernized, and the water supply, sanitation, and electrical supply networks completely updated. Furthermore, the renovation of gangway 6 for passenger embarkation and disembarkation has been undertaken.
Another of the improvements executed by the port authority with visible positive results is the enhancement of shaded areas in the Port of Almería and their adaptation as a children's area. The rehabilitated shed has become a favorite waiting place, especially for the little ones. In this regard, the APA has installed soccer goals where boys and girls have gathered to play while waiting to embark.
