From the Canary Islands to the Peninsula
Travelling by sea from Tenerife to Huelva
Charlie had spent a few weeks in the Canary Islands. First, she had been at the Billabong Surfcamp in Fuerteventura for New Year’s, then she spent a month as a digital nomad in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and finished off the trip in a surf camp in Tenerife. Between the islands, Charlie had traveled by ferry. It was the same price as a flight and took about the same time if you account for travel to the airport and waiting time.
Whilst she was searching for ferry connections, she was suggested a trip to Cádiz. She hadn’t even thought about traveling by ferry from the Canaries to mainland Spain! She liked the adventure in this idea. She anyways wanted to be in the south of Portugal for the end of February, so why not take the ferry and then travel further along the coast? It also had one great advantage: She wouldn’t have luggage restrictions. On the ferry, you can take as much as you can carry, no matter the weight.
Getting from the surf camp to the ferry in Tenerife
Charlie had stayed at the Blackstone Surfcamp in the south of Tenerife, the ferry left from the harbour in Santa Cruz in the north of the island. Charlie took the bus from the camp. The bus stop was just 5 minutes down the road. She changed once more at a bigger bus station near Playa de las Américas and was taken straight to the main bus station in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. She paid €2.20 for the first bus and €9.45 for the second. That seems pricey for public transport, but it was around 60km to Santa Cruz and the bus would take the highway with very few stops in between. In both buses, she could store her luggage in the compartment below the bus. In Santa Cruz she could have taken another bus, but a taxi seemed a lot more comfortable and would certainly bring her to the right ferry terminal. The harbour in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is similar in size to the one in Gran Canaria and there is a separate terminal for ferries to Spain. In short, you better know where you have to be, or it gets complicated. All in all, it took Charlie about 2.5 hours from the camp to the ferry.
Ferry check-in
Charlie arrived at the harbour about 2 hours early and there were already people waiting. There was no booth or house, people just stood outside at the quay next to those waiting in their cars. Charlie approached a woman who wore one of the bright yellow warning jackets that had written “Fred Olsen” on the back. That was the ferry company. She asked whether she was in the right place and showed her ticket. She was! The woman took a little device out of her pocket, asked for Charlie’s passport, and checked her in. That was easy!
The ferry arrived about one hour before the departure time. All foot passengers were then guided onto the ferry. The stewardess even helped Charlie with her suitcase since she had so much luggage. That was very nice of her! Charlie was impressed.
Inside the ferry was a reception like the one at a hotel. Charlie showed her booking confirmation and was given a little piece of paper with the number of her cabin and a QR code to open the door. Charlie had booked an “inside cabin” and was sure that there wouldn’t be any windows, but to her surprise, there was a window. The cabin had two beds, a desk, a TV, and a separate bathroom. Charlie didn’t know what to expect but she was prepared for the worst. This now seemed quite luxurious!
There was an option to book the ferry without a cabin, but Charlie did not want to spend 37 hours in a chair. The journey started on a Sunday evening and would take two nights and one day. Charlie was very happy to have a proper bed for those two nights and she slept very well. She arrived in Huelva on Tuesday morning.
Meals at the ferry
Charlie didn’t have much information about the facilities at the ferry before she started the trip. She had tried to find out whether there was an option to buy food. Otherwise, she would have had to bring some. She read that there was a bar or cafeteria on all Fred Olsen ferries. Her booking confirmation only read “Meals: Not required” and there hadn’t been an option to add meals during the booking process.
She was once again surprised when she read in her cabin that there was breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided. The mealtimes were written on the wall in her cabin. That was convenient! It was a buffet for every meal with a starter, a main, and a dessert. For her first meal, Charlie had already gotten the card out to pay for the food when she was told that the meals were included in the cabin. Another lovely surprise! Only drinks had to be paid separately. The food was delicious! The restaurant area looked a bit like a school canteen, but the food was ten times better! Charlie’s favourite was the BBQ ribs!
Seasick
Charlie knows that she is at high risk of getting seasick. She came prepared with some seasickness tablets. It still wasn’t easy, and she spent most of the day with her laptop in her bed. The movement was affecting her less in a horizontal position. She could work very well from her cabin. The Wi-Fi connection had to be paid separately and it was €9.95 per device. It was strong enough to reply to some emails but required some patience at times.
Charlie went to get a coffee in the afternoon and took a seat on the outside terrace. The sun was out, and it was quite warm despite the strong wind. Charlie did not feel seasick anymore – that was good! Towards the evening though, the wind and the waves got stronger, and the ferry was rocking side to side. Charlie had gone back to her cabin to lie down a bit. She had to stare towards the ceiling this time as everything around her was moving. She got up when they called for dinner, but she barely ate anything. Whenever she lowered her head to get some pasta into her mouth, she felt dizzy. She left her dinner and returned to her bed. They would arrive at the Spanish coast in the morning.
Getting to Huelva
The ferry reached the port of Huelva in the morning exactly at sunrise. It was a magical atmosphere and a nice welcome in Spain. All foot passengers were guided from the ferry and Charlie couldn’t see any taxis there. She had checked that connection before the trip and there was no public transport. The ferry terminal was quite far outside of town. The other passengers went straight towards a coach that was parked on the side. It looked a bit like an organized trip and Charlie had to ask. Apparently, that was the transport for foot passengers into the centre of Huelva. It was yet another surprise for Charlie and another very pleasant one.
