Cultural coastal cruises

The Clúster Marítimo-Marino de Andalucía (CMMA) and Puerto Sotogrande have studied possible coastal cruise itineraries that could be established in in the area between the Costa Tropical , the Costa del Sol, the Campo de Gibraltar, with special emphasis on San Roque (due to the presence of Puerto Sotogrande) and Ceuta.

Coastal cruises are not the traditional 3,000-passenger cruise ships. They are sustainable boats, with lengths of 12 to 25 metres, with limited groups, which dock in different marinas so that those on board can go on cultural itineraries (historical or artistic), gastronomic, hiking routes and different nautical tourism activities such as diving, visits to sunken shipwrecks, tourist boat trips, etc.

Once completed, the study will determine which localities will form part of the routes of these coastal cruises and how the itineraries will be shaped. The president of CMMA, Javier Noriega, explained that this, “is an extraordinary opportunity to combine nautical and cultural tourism in a sustainable way. We are also helping to add value to the historical coastal and underwater heritage, such as the watchtowers or the ships that, throughout history, sank off our coasts, as well as promoting leisure, water sports and the enjoyment of nature”.

The managing director of Puerto Sotogrande, Miguel Angel Diez, confirmed that for summer 2024 they want to have a route that focuses on Sotogrande Marina and is already carrying out historical research on the key milestones of that route.