Spain
South AfricaBarcelona to Cape Town shipping route.
5,767 nautical miles direct, about 17.2 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Barcelona and Cape Town
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
BarcelonaStrait of GibraltarCape TownShipping time from Barcelona to Cape Town
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 5,767 nm | 20.0 d | 17.2 d | 13.3 d |
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About the Barcelona to Cape Town shipping route
Barcelona to Cape Town is a 5,767 nautical mile shipping route on a direct course, heading south from Spain to South Africa. That is 10,680 km of water against 8,536 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar.
Pure steaming time is 17.2 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 20.0 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 13.3. 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 Barcelona and Cape Town to plan the full ocean transit time.
555 nm of the route, 10% 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 Barcelona 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 64 port to port routes from Barcelona in this directory, Cape Town is the 34th shortest. Closer destinations include Houston (5,313 nm), Colombo (5,116 nm) and Santos (5,009 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Barcelona to Cape Town?
The port to port distance from Barcelona to Cape Town is 5,767 nautical miles (10,680 km), direct. The route passes Strait of Gibraltar.
What is the shipping time from Barcelona to Cape Town?
About 17.2 days at 14 knots and 13.3 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?
555 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 Barcelona has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Barcelona to
Genoa364 nm - Barcelona to Algeciras545 nm
- Barcelona to
Marsaxlokk669 nm - Barcelona to
Piraeus1,100 nm - Barcelona to
Port Said1,591 nm - Barcelona to
Mersin1,651 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.