The main OPE 2026 trends through 15 August are:
- Overall traffic remains slightly below 2025: passengers -3.1%, vehicles -2.1% in the completed outbound phase.
- Fewer sailings (-6.0%) than last year, while traffic declined less sharply, pointing to higher average utilisation.
- Algeciras is losing traffic, with outbound passengers down 7.6%; the Ceuta route is particularly weak.
- Tarifa–Tanger Ville is the clear outperformer: outbound passengers +7.0% and vehicles +12.6%. Return traffic is also showing double-digit growth.
- Almería is growing, while Motril is substantially down.
- The key trend is therefore not simply declining OPE traffic, but a redistribution between ports and routes, with Tarifa gaining strongly.
Detailed OPE figures through 15 August in El Estrecho (in Spanish)