Port of Nador (Beni Ensar): arrival and the road into the Rif
Beni Ensar is the port of Nador: this is where you arrive, where you go through customs, and from where you drive into the Rif. Plus the sailings back.
Next departure from Almería: tomorrow 14:00 · Baleària · 8 h
Good to know
- Address: Port de Nador, Beni Ensar (Beni Ansar), north of Nador
- Short-term parking free at the port, long-term parking paid around the port area
- Not every car park is guarded: for long-term parking choose a paid, fenced site
- Changing money and a Moroccan SIM card are available in the port and in Beni Ensar
Read on
- Customs and border what happens on arrival
- Port of Almería the departure port in Spain
- Timetable all sailings, also back
- Check-in and boarding for the return
Arriving in Beni Ensar
The ferry from Almería docks in Beni Ensar, the port of Nador, some ten kilometres north of the city and right next to the border with Melilla, the Spanish city on the Moroccan coast. If you already got the Moroccan passport stamp on board, you drive from the ship straight to customs for the temporary import of the car. Outside the high season this usually goes quickly; during Operation Marhaba and around public holidays the waiting times rise sharply. How that works is under customs and border.
Then you are in Morocco. The road out of the port leads via the N16 to Nador; signs also point to Al Hoceima, Berkane and Oujda.
Parking in Nador
Around the port of Nador there are plenty of parking spaces, but not all guarded. Short-term parking, to drop someone off or pick them up, is free at the port. If you leave the car longer, choose one of the paid, fenced sites around the port area and ask whether it is supervised. For the return the same applies as in Almería: with the car well ahead of time in the queue, not parked.
Departures from Nador
Today and the coming days, live from the operators, in Moroccan time. The full timetable in both directions is on the timetable page.
Through the barrier, and then?
After customs you are in Beni Ensar, a border town with shops, exchange offices and cafés. Follow the signs Nador: on the N16 you are in the city in a quarter of an hour. On the way and in Nador you sort out the first things.
Fuel. Along the road to Nador and in the city there are stations of the big chains (Afriquia, Shell, TotalEnergies); petrol and diesel are cheaper than in Spain. Preferably fill up at those chains.
Money. You cannot buy dirhams at home: bring euros and change them at a bank or exchange office in Nador, or withdraw at a cash machine of Attijariwafa Bank, Banque Populaire or Bank of Africa. In the port itself the rate is worse. Outside the city cash stays important.
SIM card. Maroc Telecom, Orange and inwi sell prepaid cards and data bundles in Nador on showing your passport; eSIMs are available too.
Shopping. Nador has big supermarkets and a daily market; in Beni Ensar you find small shops for the first water and bread.
Driving. To Oujda and Berkane you drive on the widened N2, broad and toll-free. To Al Hoceima the coast road N16 goes through the mountains: beautiful, but winding and with lorry traffic, so better in daylight. Toll is paid only on the A2 motorway between Oujda and Fez. GOV.UK warns that any alcohol at the wheel is an offence in Morocco and advises caution at night. If you arrive early in the morning on the night ferry, driving on is fine; if you arrive in the evening, a night in Nador is wiser than the mountains in the dark.
From the port of Nador
| To | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|
| Nador centre | 12 km | a quarter of an hour |
| Zaio | 49 km | just under an hour |
| Driouch | 70 km | a good hour |
| Berkane | 95 km | 1.5 hours |
| Saïdia | 95 km | 1.5 hours |
| Al Hoceima | 140 km | 2.5 hours on the coast road |
| Oujda | 150 km | 2 hours on the widened N2 |
| Taza | 215 km | 3 hours |
| Fez | 325 km | 4 to 4.5 hours |
| Tangier | 400 km | 6 to 7 hours |
By road from Beni Ensar, rounded and without stops, calculated with OSRM on 11 September 2026. In summer and with a full car count on more.
Around the port of Nador
Click a photo to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions about the port of Nador
How far is the port from the city of Nador?
About ten kilometres, a quarter of an hour on the N16. Beni Ensar is a town in its own right, with shops, exchange offices and cafés.
How long does customs take on arrival?
Outside the high season it usually goes quickly; during Operation Marhaba and around public holidays the waiting times rise sharply. Foot passengers are quicker through than cars. Customs publishes no waiting times.
Is Melilla the same as Nador?
No. Melilla is a Spanish city right next to Nador, with its own ferries from Almería and Málaga. A ferry to Melilla does not bring you into Morocco: you do that afterwards by car across the land border at Beni Ensar, where long queues form in summer. The ferry to Nador drops you directly in Morocco.
Can I stay the night in Beni Ensar?
Yes, there are simple hotels in Beni Ensar and more choice in Nador. After a night ferry driving on to family is usually the plan; if you arrive in the evening, a hotel in Nador is handier than the mountains in the dark.
In short
- Where Beni Ensar, ten kilometres north of Nador, next to Melilla
- On arrival customs for the car, usually quick outside the peak, much longer in summer
- Parking short-term free at the port, long-term only on a guarded site
- Onward Nador in a quarter of an hour, Oujda in two hours, Al Hoceima in two and a half