South Africa
MaltaCape Town to Marsaxlokk shipping route.
6,223 nautical miles direct, about 18.5 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Cape Town and Marsaxlokk
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
Cape TownStrait of GibraltarMarsaxlokkShipping time from Cape Town to Marsaxlokk
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 6,223 nm | 21.6 d | 18.5 d | 14.4 d |
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About the Cape Town to Marsaxlokk shipping route
Cape Town to Marsaxlokk is a 6,223 nautical mile shipping route on a direct course, heading north from South Africa to Malta. That is 11,525 km of water against 7,768 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar.
Pure steaming time is 18.5 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 21.6 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 14.4. 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 Cape Town and Marsaxlokk to plan the full ocean transit time.
1,011 nm of the route, 16% 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 Cape Town to Marsaxlokk move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Marsaxlokk (MTMAR) carriers give about 6 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 Cape Town in this directory, Marsaxlokk is the 26th shortest. Closer destinations include Le Havre (6,119 nm), Piraeus (6,116 nm) and Genoa (6,099 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Cape Town to Marsaxlokk?
The port to port distance from Cape Town to Marsaxlokk is 6,223 nautical miles (11,525 km), direct. The route passes Strait of Gibraltar.
What is the shipping time from Cape Town to Marsaxlokk?
About 18.5 days at 14 knots and 14.4 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?
1,011 nm sit inside ECA waters (Mediterranean Sea ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Marsaxlokk to Cape Town has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Cape Town to Durban875 nm
- Cape Town to
Lagos (Apapa)2,619 nm - Cape Town to
Mombasa2,631 nm - Cape Town to
Santos3,508 nm - Cape Town to
Buenos Aires3,846 nm - Cape Town to
Salalah4,010 nm 
Piraeus to Marsaxlokk517 nm
Genoa to Marsaxlokk604 nm
Barcelona to Marsaxlokk669 nm- Valencia to Marsaxlokk744 nm
Port Said to Marsaxlokk952 nm- Algeciras to Marsaxlokk1,001 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.