The ro-ro traffic at Spanish state-owned ports reached 38,086,359 tons in the first half of 2026, 0.5% less than in the same period the previous year. The data published by Ports of the State as of June 30 shows a very contained decline across the system, with mixed results among port authorities.
Balearic Islands maintains the top position with 7,672,383 tons, 1.4% less than a year ago. Valencia occupies the second place with 6,978,314 tons and a 1.3% decline, while the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) totals 6,901,335 tons, 1% more than in the corresponding semester of 2025. The Port of Barcelona is in fourth place with 6,134,695 tons, after a 2.3% increase. The four ports concentrate nearly 72% of the ro-ro traffic in the port system in the first half of the year.
Las Palmas closes the semester with 2,946,875 tons, 5.6% more than in 2025, in fifth position in the national ro-ro system. Santa Cruz de Tenerife records 2,307,995 tons, just 1% below the corresponding semester of the previous year. Santander totals 1,038,296 tons and falls 4.2%.
In the next tier, Almería closes the first half with 615,542 tons and a 13.1% increase, the largest percentage increase among ports with more than 500,000 tons. The Port Authority of the Bay of Cádiz reaches 466,545 tons (+1.9%), Vigo totals 661,610 (-7.4%), and Bilbao 528,372 (-18.7%), the sharpest decline among the major ro-ro ports. Málaga records 229,539 tons (+5.1%) and Ceuta 287,038, a figure practically equal to that of 2025.
The largest percentage increases of the semester correspond to ports with reduced volumes. Vilagarcía multiplies its figure by more than six, reaching 191,004 tons compared to 27,969 the previous year. Alicante grows by 10.4% to 48,328 and Pasaia by 2.3% to 281,849. On the flip side, Motril has the biggest decline in the system, dropping by 91.8% to 28,266 tons from 344,065 in the previous semester. Huelva falls 13.4% (288,687), Sevilla 17.7% (66,092), and Tarragona 5.8% (177,669). Cartagena, which recorded 366 tons in the semester in 2025, did not register any ro-ro traffic in the first half of 2026.
The data includes loading, unloading, transit, transshipment, and tare, reflecting the activity of vehicles, trucks, trailers, and other equipment handled by the port authorities of the system. Ro-ro traffic is especially relevant in the corridors of the Strait of Gibraltar, the Balearic front, and the mainland connections with the Canary Islands, where the bulk of business for the main ro-pax shipping lines operating in Spanish waters is concentrated.
Along with the figures in tons, Ports of the State publishes the volume of intermodal transport units (UTIs) handled in ro-ro mode. The system registered 1,619,979 UTIs in the first half, 1% less than in 2025. Balearic Islands leads with 362,846 units, followed by Algeciras (287,670) and Valencia (258,638). The Port of Barcelona handled 223,375 UTIs, 2.8% more, and Las Palmas 174,201, with a 1.7% increase. Santa Cruz de Tenerife records 149,264 units, a figure practically stable.
Among the ports with intermediate volumes of UTIs, Almería grows by 2.4% to 29,083 units, and the Port Authority of the Bay of Cádiz by 6.7% to 17,816. Bilbao falls by 20.3% (19,265) and Motril by 89.9% (1,474). Vilagarcía multiplies its volume of UTIs, reaching 5,840 units compared to 728 the previous year.
