Spain
South AfricaAlgeciras to Cape Town shipping route.
5,244 nautical miles direct, about 15.6 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Algeciras and Cape Town
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
AlgecirasStrait of GibraltarCape TownShipping time from Algeciras to Cape Town
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 5,244 nm | 18.2 d | 15.6 d | 12.1 d |
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About the Algeciras to Cape Town shipping route
The shipping route from Algeciras, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa covers 5,244 nautical miles port to port, on a direct course. On a globe the two ports sit 8,178 km apart, so the ship sails 1.19 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar.
Pure steaming time is 15.6 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 18.2 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 12.1. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Algeciras and Cape Town to plan the full ocean transit time.
32 nm of the route, 1% of it, lies inside Mediterranean Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.
Container freight rates on Algeciras to Cape Town move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Cape Town (ZACPT) carriers give about 3 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.
Of the 65 port to port routes from Algeciras in this directory, Cape Town is the 34th shortest. Closer destinations include Mombasa (5,025 nm), Nhava Sheva (4,995 nm) and Mundra (4,981 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Algeciras to Cape Town?
The port to port distance from Algeciras to Cape Town is 5,244 nautical miles (9,711 km), direct. The route passes Strait of Gibraltar.
What is the shipping time from Algeciras to Cape Town?
About 15.6 days at 14 knots and 12.1 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services add calls and transhipment.
How much of the route is in an emission control area?
32 nm sit inside ECA waters (Mediterranean Sea ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Cape Town to Algeciras has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Algeciras to Valencia406 nm
- Algeciras to Barcelona545 nm
- Algeciras to
Genoa877 nm - Algeciras to
Marsaxlokk1,001 nm - Algeciras to
Le Havre1,207 nm - Algeciras to
Felixstowe1,333 nm - Durban to Cape Town875 nm
Lagos (Apapa) to Cape Town2,619 nm
Mombasa to Cape Town2,631 nm
Santos to Cape Town3,508 nm
Buenos Aires to Cape Town3,846 nm
Salalah to Cape Town4,010 nm
How we count: sea routes follow shipping lanes and canals, time is pure steaming at 14 knots without port calls. Engine navo-distance-time 0.3.0. See all sea distance between ports or the Shipping Routes Directory.