How many cruise passengers visit the Canary Islands?
In the first half of 2026, 2,291,601 cruise passengers passed through Canary Islands ports.
That is 9.8% more than the same period of 2025. Across full-year 2025, the two Canarian port authorities handled 3,696,532 cruise passengers.
Sources: ISTAC (monthly maritime transport statistics) and Cruise Atlantic Islands (2025 year-end release).
The cruise season here is winter
| Month | 2026 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 653,200 | 574,338 | +13.7% |
| February | 581,581 | 498,352 | +16.7% |
| March | 636,530 | 549,728 | +15.8% |
| April | 369,414 | 395,680 | −6.6% |
| May | 31,006 | 44,439 | −30.2% |
| June | 19,870 | 25,105 | −20.9% |
| Total Jan–Jun | 2,291,601 | 2,087,642 | +9.8% |
The contrast is extreme: January moves 33 times more cruise passengers than June, which accounts for barely 3% of a peak month. The season runs October to April, when Atlantic itineraries use the Canaries as a winter call; traffic collapses in May and does not recover until autumn.
Be careful with low-season percentages
In June 2026 the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife recorded −50.7% year on year and Santa Cruz de La Palma −41.2%, while La Luz y Las Palmas rose 33.8%. Striking figures, and they circulated as evidence of divergence between the islands.
They need context: that month brought 19,870 cruise passengers to the whole archipelago. On a base that small, a handful of rescheduled calls is enough to move a percentage fifty points. The full half-year reads the other way: Canary Islands cruise traffic grew 9.8%.
Which ports carry the traffic
| Port authority | 2025 passengers | Share of Macaronesia |
|---|---|---|
| Las Palmas (Las Palmas, Arrecife, Puerto del Rosario) | 2,080,042 | 44.3% |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife (S/C Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro) | 1,616,490 | 34.3% |
| Canary Islands total | 3,696,532 | 78.5% |
A common confusion is worth flagging: the 4,708,190 figure reported as the 2025 record belongs to Cruise Atlantic Islands, the association covering the ports of the whole of Macaronesia (Canaries, Madeira, Azores and Cape Verde). The Canarian share is 3,696,532, or 78.5% of that total. By individual port, Santa Cruz de Tenerife handled 1,126,092 passengers (+15.9%) and Las Palmas 994,954 (+12.9%).
Cruise passengers are not tourists
A passenger on a port call does not stay overnight, so they are not counted in ISTAC’s tourist statistics. The two figures measure different things and must not be added: the 18,386,274 tourists of 2025 and the 3,696,532 cruise passengers of the same year are separate universes.
The distinction matters in the overtourism debate: a cruise passenger spends a few hours in port and far less money than a staying visitor, but that presence is concentrated into narrow time windows and a small area around the port.
Frequently asked questions
How many cruise passengers did the Canary Islands receive in 2025?
3,696,532 across the port authorities of Las Palmas (2,080,042) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1,616,490). The 4,708,190 figure reported as a record covers the whole of Macaronesia, not just the Canary Islands.
When is cruise season in the Canary Islands?
October to April. January, March and February each exceed 580,000 cruise passengers, while May and June fall below 35,000. It is the most pronounced seasonality anywhere in Canarian tourism.
Which Canary Islands port receives the most cruise ships?
By port authority, Las Palmas (2,080,042 passengers in 2025). By individual port, Santa Cruz de Tenerife with 1,126,092, ahead of La Luz y Las Palmas with 994,954.
Is cruise traffic falling in Tenerife?
Not over the year. The −50.7% of June 2026 happened in the lowest month of the season, with fewer than 20,000 cruise passengers across the whole archipelago. In 2025 the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife grew 15.9%, and the first half of 2026 closed 9.8% up for the Canaries as a whole.
Do cruise passengers count as tourists?
No. ISTAC counts as tourists those who stay overnight in the archipelago; a cruise passenger on a port call is recorded as a day visitor. The two statistics are not additive.