Help - Slow ferry to Morocco? (1 Viewer)

I'm visiting Andalucia for birding and culture in early November. I quite fancy taking a ferry back and forth across the straits to see what I can see. However I want to go on a "slow" conventional ferry rather than a jet. I can't tell from the various websites which run conventional services.

Any ideas about slow ferries across the straits will be greatly appreciated.

There might be one from Algeciras.

We went from Algeciras to Tangier-Med. That’s the slow one iirc.
The ones direct to Tangier are SeaCat types and are expensive imo.
You can get a coach that is free (or was) to Tangier then a taxi up to the Town.
You would have to reverse the process and it might be touch n go to do in a day if you want to ‘explore’ Tangier.

The local authority, in their wisdom, got rid of all the nice little bars etc that used to line the basin - they waffled about drunks and ‘ladies of the night’ (all Maroc btw) but really it is about establishing a Marina for the wealthy visitors.
Quite where the jet-skis with illegal immigrants depart from for Tarifa remains a ‘mystery’:-O There is talk of banning the use of them between Tangier and Ceuta as requested by the Spanish Government. You could go there or nearby Melilla if you still want to remain, technically, in Spain but beware leaving what is effectively 2 ‘gated’ communities as outside the fences the 3rd World awaits:eek!:

Whatever you choose good birding:t:

Laurie -

When I last asked it was not possible to buy a ticket there and back without disembarking - if that is your intention.
The slowest ferries seem to be the Moroccan owned companies but they seem surprisingly difficult to find on a simple internet search.

FWIW the one day integrated tours are good value, although you have to waste about 40 minutes in a carpet shop. The standard tour is something like
Ferry Algeciras - Ceuta
Bus Ceuta - Tetuan
Bus Tetuan - Tangiers
Bus Tangiers - Tanger-med
Ferry Tanger-med - Algeciras
with guided tours in Tetuan and Tangiers.

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.

We took the Malaga-Mellila one, which was a properly bug and small ferry, but for a one-day trip it's too far, you always end up doing most of one leg in darkness.

Not sure what exactly is on offer in the area, but big companies like Transmediterreanea or Armas allow you to see schedule with name of ship and the you can just google the picture of said ship.

FWIW the slow ferries across the Strait appear to be FRS from Algeciras to Tanger-med (which I remember as being satisfactory), and AML (https://www.aml.ma/en/) on the same route.

Useful, thank you.

Some of these ferries have interesting histories. Here is one I have just noticed crossing.
https://www.vesselfinder.com/news/6937-Ferry-Med-Star-engulfed-in-flames-in-Tripoli-Lebanon

I never use the fast ferry - terrible Dolphin and Whale killer!

Transmed from Algeciras takes about 1.5hrs, normally see quite a bit from the route to Tangier Med as there is often seabirds and cetaceans, sometimes raptors too!