Spain

A Comparison of Ferries from Alicante to Tabarca Island

by Paul Joseph  |  Published May 31, 2023

Separated by 22 kilometres of glistening Mediterranean ocean, Tabarca Island is reachable from the Spanish mainland city of Alicante via a quick and convenient boat ride.

(Photo: Cruceros Kontiki / Courtesy GetYourGuide)

One of the best-known Mediterranean islets of the Costa Blanca, Tabarca Island attracts huge numbers of visitors every year who come to enjoy the stunning scenery, perfect paddle and surf boarding conditions, and frequent spottings of dolphins and sea turtles. Many of those who make the short excursion start from Alicante on Spain’s southeastern coast. There are two options for travelling between the two – and we’ve compared them below.

Roundtrip Ferry to Tabarca Island

There is only one ferry that runs directly between Alicante and Tabarca Island and it’s operated by Kontiki Cruises. Their ferries depart at 10.45am daily, with the 1-hour journey offering time for passengers to enjoy the open deck and colourful underwater world visible through the vessel’s glass bottom (note: only 2 of the 3 ferries have glass bottoms). Once on the island, you’ll have free time to discover the streets of the village, see the famous Tabarca lighthouse, try some water sports, or just relax on the beach. There are three return journeys at 4pm, 5pm or 6.30pm. Food and drinks are also available for purchase onboard.

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Return Taxi Boat Ticket to Tabarca Island

(Photo: Tabarca Water Taxi / Courtesy GetYourGuide)

A 20 kilometre drive south of Alicante brings you to the small fishing port of Santa Polo. Here, visitors can soak up majestic views of the distant mountains and wild sand dunes, or turn towards the ocean and make out the distant presence of Tabarca Island. If you’d like to take the even more scenic route to Tabarca from Alicante, then Tabarca Water Taxi run hourly water taxis from Santa Polo to the island shores, with a journey time of just 15 minutes. Flexible return schedules allow you to spend as much or as little time on the island ad you please, including the option to stay overnight and depart the next morning.

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