Spain
Sri LankaAlgeciras to Colombo shipping route.
5,450 nautical miles via Suez Canal, about 16.2 days of steaming at 14 knots. Avoiding the Red Sea adds 4,215 nm.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Algeciras and Colombo
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
AlgecirasSuez Canal · Bab-el-Mandeb · Strait of GibraltarColomboShipping time from Algeciras to Colombo
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Suez Canal (shortest) | 5,450 nm | 18.9 d | 16.2 d | 12.6 d |
| via Cape of Good Hope | 9,665 nm | 33.6 d | 28.8 d | 22.4 d |
Sea Route Distance Calculator
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Reverse: Colombo to AlgecirasMany carriers still avoid the Red Sea. Routed via Cape of Good Hope, Algeciras to Colombo is 9,665 nm, about 12.6 more days at 14 knots.
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About the Algeciras to Colombo shipping route
Ships leaving Algeciras for Colombo head east and cover a sea distance of 5,450 nautical miles (10,094 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 9,132 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb and Strait of Gibraltar, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.
Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 16.2 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 18.9 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 12.6. 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 Colombo to plan the full ocean transit time.
The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Cape of Good Hope instead. That route is 9,665 nautical miles, 4,215 more, and adds about 12.6 days at 14 knots. Longer voyages burn more fuel and tie up more ships, which is why freight rates on Red Sea lanes jumped when the diversions started.
1,925 nm of the route, 35% 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 Colombo move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Colombo (LKCMB) carriers give about 5 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, Colombo is the 36th shortest. Closer destinations include Buenos Aires (5,376 nm), Cape Town (5,244 nm) and Mombasa (5,025 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Algeciras to Colombo?
The port to port distance from Algeciras to Colombo is 5,450 nautical miles (10,094 km), via Suez Canal. The route passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Gibraltar.
What is the shipping time from Algeciras to Colombo?
About 16.2 days at 14 knots and 12.6 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services add calls and transhipment.
What if the ship avoids the Red Sea?
Routed via Cape of Good Hope, the voyage is 9,665 nm, 4,215 nm longer, about 28.8 days at 14 knots.
How much of the route is in an emission control area?
1,925 nm sit inside ECA waters (Mediterranean Sea ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Colombo 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 
Nhava Sheva to Colombo931 nm- Mundra to Colombo1,265 nm
Karachi to Colombo1,419 nm
Port Klang to Colombo1,420 nm
Singapore to Colombo1,605 nm
Salalah to Colombo1,838 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.