About the operator
A major ferry name now moving into a new chapter
Armas Trasmediterránea brought together two long-established Spanish ferry traditions: Naviera
Armas, strongly associated with the Canary Islands, and Trasmediterránea, one of the country’s
historic mainland and island shipping names. The combined network became particularly important for
inter-island travel in the Canaries, links between Cádiz and the archipelago, and routes connecting
southern Spain with Ceuta, Melilla, Morocco and Algeria.
That structure changed substantially in 2026. Baleària took effective control of the Canary Islands assets in May, including inter-island services and connections between the mainland and the archipelago. The new Baleària Canarias brand was introduced for the islands, with a transitional period in which Armas Trasmediterránea branding could continue to appear alongside it.
The next stage followed in July 2026, when Baleària completed the acquisition of Armas
Trasmediterránea assets in the Strait of Gibraltar and Alborán areas after the relevant competition
approvals. For travellers, the practical result is that an itinerary historically associated with
Armas may now be sold and operated within the Baleària group or, for parts of the Strait market, by
another operator following the wider restructuring.
FerryEU editorial approach: this page preserves Armas Trasmediterránea as a useful operator reference because travellers still search for the brand, while clearly distinguishing the historic network from the operator structure in place after the 2026 acquisitions.