Spain has reached a new milestone in cruise tourism. Between January and November 2025, Spanish ports received more than 13 million passengers, surpassing last year's annual record of 12.8 million by a month ahead of schedule.
This growth reflects the strong recovery and continued interest in cruises in the region, consolidating Spain's position as one of the most sought-after destinations in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. According to data published by Puertos del Estado (State Ports Authority), the main receiving ports continue to lead the flow of cruise passengers, offering both city stops and connections to highly attractive tourist circuits.
The increase in passengers also reflects the expansion of itineraries and the arrival of new ships operating on the Spanish coast, as well as the confidence of major cruise lines in the Spanish market. This anticipated record underscores the country's strategic importance within the maritime tourism sector and reinforces the position of its ports as a gateway for international cruise passengers.
In year-to-date figures, Barcelona remains the leading cruise destination in Spain, with 3.8 million passengers and an 8.7% increase. It is followed by the Balearic Islands, with 2.5 million (+4.5%), Las Palmas, with 1.7 million (+12%), and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which reached 1.3 million passengers and registered the largest percentage increase at 24.4%. During November, the port of Las Palmas led the monthly traffic with 357,443 cruise passengers, although this was 3.4% less than in 2014, while Barcelona received 276,289 passengers, 6% fewer than the previous year. Regarding the number of port calls, Barcelona topped the ranking with 854 cruise ships (+12.7%), followed by the Balearic Islands (780 and +2.9%), Las Palmas (767 and +30.4%), and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (711 and +45.4%). In the monthly analysis, Santa Cruz de Tenerife recorded the highest number of stops in November, with 197 cruise ships, followed by Las Palmas (171), Barcelona (81) and Valencia (55).
With these figures, Spain is close to closing 2025 with its best cruise season in history, consolidating an upward trend that is expected to continue in the coming years.
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