Ferry Routes in Africa/Red Sea

Atlantic and West Africa

For North Africa - Europe connections, see other article.

Azores

There are numerous domestic routes throughout the archipelago, some operating only in summer.

Canary Islands

To Spain

Year-round ferry services with Transmediterranea between Cadiz in Spain and several islands in the archipelago. Around a day’s crossing.

To Madeira

A seasonal route between Lanzarote or Gran Canaria and Madeira (Funchal) with Naviera Armas.

Internal

Domestic routes between the islands with Fred Olsen. Mainly Lanzarote - Fuerteventura (35 minutes), Gran Canaria - Tenerife (2 hours), and Tenerife - La Gomera - La Palma (1h15 and 3 hours). Count on around 10 € to 15 € for a one-way foot passenger ticket, depending on the crossing.

Also internal routes with Naviera Armas.

Cape Verde

Numerous ferries with varying frequencies but very affordable (under 15 € one-way for the longest route) connect all the main islands in the archipelago.

Madeira

There are daily ferries with Porto Santo Line between Funchal and Porto Santo (around 3 hours for 60 € return). Also, a seasonal route between Funchal and the Canary Islands (Lanzarote, Gran Canaria) with Naviera Armas, which also connects Madeira to Portugal.

Senegal

Beyond a few local ferries (Gorée, Foundiougne), there is a weekly route between Dakar and Ziguinchor in Casamance (15 to 16 hours at sea). Reintroduced in 2005, this service had been suspended in 2002 following the sinking of the previous vessel.

Indian Ocean

Various more or less regular routes operate in the western part of the Indian Ocean, with the Comoros/Mayotte as a "hub." You can travel directly or with connections within the Comorian archipelago, reach western Madagascar (Majunga), or even get to Zanzibar in Tanzania (and from there, Kenya by sea).

Réunion

Réunion - Mauritius

Two companies (SCOAM and Mascarene Ferries) connect the two islands (from 140 €); SCOAM also operates a route between Mauritius and Rodrigues.

Réunion - Madagascar

In principle, a route between Madagascar and Réunion (from 280 €) with SCOAM.

Madagascar

Possibility to travel along the coast, particularly in the Pangalanes Canal, to Nosy Bé or Sainte Marie.

Seychelles

There is a domestic route between Mahé and Praslin with the Cat Cocos.

Tanzania (and neighbors)

Surrounded by lakes to the east, several ferry routes connect Tanzania to its neighbors. There are routes to Malawi (on Lake Malawi, where ferries also operate between Malawi and Mozambique), Zambia, the DRC, and Burundi (Lake Tanganyika), as well as Kenya and Uganda (Lake Victoria). There are also several ferry companies between the mainland and Zanzibar (US $20/50 one-way, minimum 1h30 at sea) or Pemba, as well as between Pemba and Zanzibar.

Red Sea

Eritrea

There is a weekly ferry between Massawa and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, as well as a more or less regular domestic shuttle service between Massawa and the Dahlak Archipelago.

Egypt and neighbors

There is a passenger/vehicle ferry service with AB Maritime between the Jordanian port of Aqaba and Nuweiba in Egypt (with an extension to Sharm el-Sheikh).

Also domestic routes between Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, plus a twice-weekly boat between Aswan (Egypt) and Wadi Halfa (Sudan) along the Nile (minimum 30 € for the trip). Also worth noting is a route between Suez and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.