The state-owned ports in Andalusia accumulated 11.4 million tons during the first month of 2026, a figure that represents a drop of 8.7% compared to the same period of the previous year. The decline is fundamentally due to the succession of storms that hit the Andalusian coast in the last days of January, a weather episode that forced the suspension of operations at several of the region's main port facilities.
The Port of Algeciras, despite closing January with 7 million tons and a decrease of 13.8% year-on-year, maintained its status as the country's leading port by cargo volume. The cargo terminals of the Algeciras facility remained inactive for several days, as did the maritime passenger connections with North Africa, due to the intense winds recorded in the Straits of Gibraltar area.
In second position within the regional scope was the Port of Huelva, which reached 2.5 million tons, 2.5% below the figures for January 2025. The Huelva dock, sixth in the national total, was particularly affected by the 42% drop in the handling of solid bulk, a determining factor in its negative balance.
The Port of Málaga was one of the positive exceptions in the Andalusian panorama. The increase in general cargo allowed the Málaga dock to close January with 506,146 tons, representing a growth of 25.9% compared to the same month of the previous year.
At the opposite end was the Port of Cádiz, which experienced the largest percentage drop in the entire autonomous community, with 20.8% less traffic. The Cádiz facility closed January with 379,620 tons, with declines in nearly all categories of cargo. Almería, for its part, recorded a favorable balance with 375,000 tons and an increase of 5.2%, while Motril saw the largest relative increase among the Andalusian ports, with a growth of 19.9% to 251,601 tons.
In the passenger segment, the ports of the Bay of Algeciras — which include the facilities of Algeciras and Tarifa — remained the most active in peninsular Spain, only surpassed by Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The January balance reflects 384,350 travelers, a 3.9% decrease from a year earlier, a figure that can be considered contained in light of the frequent interruptions that the regular lines suffered due to weather conditions.
Málaga recorded a notable increase in passenger transit, with 55,706 people and a rise of 43.2%, mainly sustained by the 125% increase in the number of cruise passengers who visited the port during January. Cádiz also improved its figures in this area, with 20,312 passengers and a rise of 34.4%, similarly linked to cruise traffic. In the other ports, Almería counted 36,766 travelers, 10.2% less; Motril added 9,283 passengers, with a growth of 19.8%; and Huelva managed 2,836, 2% below the previous year. Sevilla did not record any passenger movements during the period.
On a national scale, the set of ports of general interest of the State handled 41,197,256 tons in January, a 4.5% decrease compared to the same month in 2025. The storms that affected different sections of the Spanish coastline, with particular virulence in the Straits area, caused partial closures and operational difficulties that largely explain this generalized decline.
By type of cargo, general cargo fell 8.1% to close to 20 million tons, with drops in both conventional (6.1 million tons, 7.8% less) and containerized (13.8 million tons, 8.2% less). Container movement measured in TEUs decreased by 4.2%, with 1.3 million units. Solid bulk constituted the exception, with an increase of 1.4% to 6.2 million tons, supported by the recovery of coal and, especially, cereals and fruits. Liquid bulk fell 2.4%, with 13.7 million tons, and ro-ro traffic decreased by 8.9% to 5.2 million tons.
The number of merchant ships that transited through Spanish ports decreased by 8.4%, with 11,190 units, and gross tonnage fell by 3.4%. Regarding passenger traffic at the state level, January closed with a slight increase of 0.6% compared to the same month in 2025, exceeding 2.4 million movements.