Morocco-Portugal Ferry Link Delayed: Portimão to Tanger-Med Route Faces Uncertainty

The announcement of the project to put into service a maritime connection between Portimão and Tanger-Med, with the aim of supporting the Marhaba 2021 operation and facilitating the travel of MREs and tourists, was very good news for the general public. But since then, nothing has progressed in the eyes of the public. And as if to confirm the doubt, the port indicated on its website that "for the moment, it is still not possible to confirm whether the link will be established. The operational conditions of the port of Portimão are being evaluated, in collaboration with the shipowners and various authorities, in order to start a ferry service between Portimão and Tanger".

Several reasons explain this delay despite the multiple economic and tourist potential of this project, said a credible source contacted by Challenge. One of the main concerns is related to the status of the Port of Portimão, which is not considered an external border of Portugal and to change it into an external port, there are prerequisites and other elements to be put in place. In this sense, consultations are continuing between the SEF (Foreigners and Borders Service), the customs administration, the Portuguese gendarmerie equivalent which is the GNR (Republican National Guard), the port authority, the maritime police, not to mention the efforts of the Moroccan embassy in Portugal and other bodies concerned by this project.

With the efforts and consultations that are multiplying, there is hope that the project will come to fruition, added the source. For the moment, the dates of July 15 or August 1, 2021 have been retained for the launch of the line, but they remain just indications. Thus, anyone wishing to take a ticket to travel from the port of Portimão to Morocco must ensure that the line is operational. Moreover, several signs already show that the project will indeed be carried out and not buried as some people predict.