Barcelona to Manzanillo shipping route.

Ships leaving Barcelona for Manzanillo head north west and cover a sea distance of 6,604 nautical miles (12,230 km), via Panama Canal. The straight line between the ports is 9,919 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar and Panama Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 19.7 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 22.9 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 15.3. 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 Manzanillo to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Magellan, 11,850 nautical miles, 5,246 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Strait of Gibraltar is congested or closed.

703 nm of the route, 11% of it, lies inside US Caribbean Sea ECA and 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 Manzanillo move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Manzanillo (MXZLO) carriers give about 7 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, Manzanillo is the 39th shortest. Closer destinations include Port Klang (6,479 nm), Callao (6,300 nm) and Durban (6,239 nm).