Walter Finch
THE Costa del Sol port town of Motril is ramping up its campaign to become Spain’s cruise ship capital by hosting a major international industry summit this October.
The Andalucian town of just 60,000 people has been making waves in the cruise industry, welcoming over 60,000 cruise passengers last year but hoping to quintuple that figure by 2027.
The ambition is backed by serious investment – Motril is building a new cruise terminal with a €30 million budget, aiming to dramatically increase capacity to 350,000.
This massive infrastructure project would make it one of Spain’s largest cruise ports, rivalling established hubs like Barcelona and the Balearics.
Just recently, the port welcomed over 1,800 British and American tourists when P&O’s Aurora docked in its harbour, forcing the local tourist office to double up its services to meet demand.
Now Motril is hosting the fourth edition of CITCA Suncruise from October 15-17, bringing together cruise lines, port authorities and maritime tourism experts from around the world to discuss the future of the industry.
The congress aims to establish Andalucia as a leader in international ‘blue tourism’ and position Motril as a serious alternative to Spain’s established cruise hubs like Barcelona and Malaga.
Deputy mayor and head of Tourism Promotion, Maria Angeles Escamez, said the town wants to consolidate its position as a cruise ship destination based on ‘respectful tourism’ and continue advancing this type of tourism growth.
The Port of Motril-Granada lies at a strategic transport intersection in the south east area of the Iberian Peninsula, with direct connections to the Mediterranean Corridor and is the closest port to Madrid in Andalucia.
What makes Motril particularly attractive to cruise operators is its proximity to Granada’s world-famous Alhambra palace, just an hour’s drive inland, offering passengers an unbeatable combination of coastal relaxation and cultural immersion.
The town’s port already serves as a key logistics hub connecting Europe to North Africa, with regular ferry services to Morocco, making it well-equipped to handle the demands of large cruise ships.
The timing comes as Spain hit a new milestone in 2024 with over twelve million cruise passengers, marking an increase of over 6% year-on-year.
While Barcelona remains Spain’s cruise capital, Motril’s strategic location on the Costa Tropical, combined with its growing infrastructure and the allure of nearby Granada, positions it perfectly to capture a slice of the booming Mediterranean cruise market.
The October summit will feature discussions on sustainability, technological innovation and how ports can adapt to attract the new generation of cruise passengers, from premium travellers to younger demographics.
With the global cruise market projected to continue its strong recovery post-pandemic, Motril’s ambitious bid to establish itself as a major cruise destination could create hundreds of new jobs and bring millions in tourism revenue to the region.
As Gerardo Landaluce, president of Suncruise, put it: the goal is to ‘project to the world the strength of Andalucia and the Alboran Sea as a cruise and nautical tourism destination.’
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