Morocco World News is reporting that Italian shipping line GNV (Grandi Navi Veloci) is expanding its operations in Morocco and expanding its shipping routes to Morocco, however unless I am missing something in the text, there seems to be little confirmed change as far as services to Morocco are concerned.

Article: https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/202...tes-to-morocco

Madar21 has a report that Spain-Morocco ferry links and also the land borders are to reopen within three months. The report references El Confidencial Digital article above but claims it has its own diplomatic sources.

'Within three months' is a pretty loose timeframe, so don't hold your breath, https://madar21.com/30641.html

Another report, this time suggesting the ferry service between Spain and Morocco will resume early November: https://www.lesiteinfo.com/maroc/rep...c-et-lespagne/

It quotes Ceuta Actualidad, but the source for the Ceuta article is in fact the Digital Confidencial referred to in post #198. Ceuta Actualidad references El Confidencial Digital saying that the border will reopen 1 November but warning there have been hoaxes before. https://www.ceutaactualidad.com/arti...817132104.html

We're approaching the end of the current SoE and also Spain last announcement about the border so we're seeing the same repeated rumours that the press have circulated all year.

All meaningless until there's an official announcment from both Spain and Morocco

ferry to morocco from spain
 

My bike is waiting for me in Malaga. I'm flying out to get it roughly mid November. I'm fully vaccinated and intend to get a ferry to Morocco. Is this possible to do? I've heard about problems between Spain and Morocco causing ferries not to run. It's very hard to find out on the net if this is correct.
Thanks to anyone who can supply me with good information.
Charlie

No ferries between Spain and Morocco or news on when they will start

Lots of good information posted on this forum as things change and also the Overlanding West Africa and Morocco group on Facebook and also the Overlanding North Africa Group.

There are some other resources but they don't seem to have accurate information.

@chamagu: What's holding up the restart of the ferry links is very much the political situation between Morocco and Spain and whilst things are better on the surface, none of the underlying differences have been resolved, so I don't see this changing by mid November. Sorry. :(

Hi Charlie:

Welcome to the HUBB forum community.

As Tim explained in his reply above, the current suspension of ferry services between Spain and Morocco is the result of a political dispute that has nothing at all to do with COVID or vaccinations.

The political dispute is a complex one, not a single issue, and there is just no way for any of us to know when or if it will get resolved, no matter how much research we do. Heck, even the Spanish & Moroccan diplomats don't know when or how it will be resolved.

Best suggestion I can offer you is to plan to tour around Southern Spain & Southern Portugal this year. Fly down to Malaga, pick up the bike, and go riding eastward. I've done that kind of tour in the past, and it has been most enjoyable. There are some great roads in Southern Spain, and no shortage of interesting things to see. It's also a relatively cheap area so far as eating, drinking, and staying in hotels is concerned.

Michael

ferry to morocco info
 

Thank you all for your replies. Very much appreciated. It's massively disappointing as I don't know when this opportunity might arise for me again but on the very bright side it looks like some TET Spain and ACT Portugal has my name written on it!
Ride on,
Charlie

Morocco Ferries
 

Hey Tim. If you don’t mind spending a few more $$$, you can grab your bike in Malaga and drive up to Sete, France and take a ferry to Morocco from there. That’s what I am in the process of doing. Cheers.

That is a LONG (1,300 km!) and really tiring route. I've done that route once before, and at the end of it, all I wanted to do was go home, not anywhere else.

Michael

It seems to be definitely operating. I've got a quote from them for Genova-Tanger yesterday.

Now wondering how the covid testing could be managed. The ferry trip alone takes over 50 hours, and the test must not be older than 48h.
Any idea?

Peter

The answer is somewhere in this thread; did I read it's done on board?
I'd like to know for sure myself; I've booked one to Sete in a couple of weeks.

As I'm going out via France my travels docs are expanding into a dossier fit to ride down the west coast of Africa.

PCR must be under 48hrs before boarding. UK FCO says another is done on board but nobody has reported that this actually happens.

As of the weekend you will also receive an antigen test on arrival, if you test positive then you will be refused entry into Morocco

I remember posts either here or TA from people saying PCR tests were performed on board.

Also the UK Foreign Office Morocco travel advice currently reads, "For travel by ferry, you will also need to take a COVID-19 test during the journey"