Statistics from Puertos del Estado for March 2026 reveal that while port activity across Spain decreased by 1.3% in the first quarter, the facilities in Las Palmas, Arrecife, Puerto del Rosario, Arinaga, and Salinetas increased their cargo movement. In March, they rose from 3.14 to 3.28 million tons, and cumulatively for the quarter, from 8.54 to 8.93 million tons.
The Port of La Luz, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, was a key driver of this growth, handling nearly eight million tons in the first quarter and registering a 4.6% increase in total port traffic. This positive performance extends to various segments, including total traffic, general cargo, liquid and solid bulk, containers, transit, Ro-Ro, and passengers.
March's evolution confirms a more robust dynamic than the national average, with advances in key traffic areas and quarterly leadership in bunkering.
In the bunkering sector, although Las Palmas saw a slight dip in March, the cumulative quarterly figures showed a 2% increase, reaching 749,751 tons. This leadership is maintained nationally, surpassing other major ports like Bahía de Algeciras and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which also showed significant growth of 41.9%.
Container traffic was also favorable, with Las Palmas closing March with 140,558 TEUs and a total of 374,036 TEUs for the quarter, a 5.6% increase from the previous year, outperforming the national growth of 3.6%. Similarly, Ro-Ro traffic grew by 8.5% in the first quarter of 2026, while the Spanish port system experienced a decline.
The cruise sector has been another fundamental pillar, with the ports of Las Palmas recording 1.07 million cruise passengers, a 16.8% increase, and 366 cruise ships, up 7.3%. This figure positions the ports of Las Palmas as leaders in the Spanish port system for this segment, followed by the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
