What a slow trip to northern Spain really looks like

The slow boat home

The ferry trip home offered a chance to process the trip we’d just taken, from the epic-ness of the Picos de Europa mountains to the young man committed to preserving a historic water mill. For those who have time (and don’t get terrible seasickness), it’s hard to beat the 33-hour sailing back to Portsmouth for slowing right down. It’s literally and figuratively the “scenic route” even if, at times, you get the impression everyone is ever-so-slightly tipsy, as we grab the rails to steady ourselves on the waves. Disclaimer: Lounge access (an optional extra) comes with wine on tap – literally, a tap that pours wine – so you can’t blame the motion of the ocean for everything.

This ship, the Santoña, is new for 2023 and along with two others, became the first ferries in UK waters fuelled by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and next year sees two more LNG-electric hybrid vessels. “While not perfect, LNG is the cleanest fuel currently available to the marine sector,” Christopher Jones, communications manager at Brittany Ferries told me. There’s no getting away from the fact that LNG is still a fossil fuel, but it’s considered the ‘cleanest’ right now, producing 40% less carbon dioxide (CO₂) than coal and 30% less than oil. Being 85-95% methane, it also contains less carbon than other forms of fossil fuels. With a 2050 deadline set by the International Maritime Organisation for the marine sector to cut emissions in half, it is hoped LNG will help reduce carbon footprint, even if it’s by no stretch the perfect answer to global issues.

The ferry was far more interesting than a plane, and a dream for people-watchers. Half the fun was exploring the ship like some sort of theme park, from the artwork inspired by the Las Meninas painting in Madrid’s Prado museum to the orca information areas (in the summer, experts are on board and whale sightings common) to checking out the restaurants. A wrong turn between cabins and I heard a few squeaks before inhaling the distinct smell of ‘dog’ in the pets’ cabin corridor. In the bar, a group of colleagues brought along a toaster and were making crumpets. 

I climbed upstairs and strolled the open deck. It was golden hour, and the outdoor gym with its 180-degree sea views from its machines and bikes looked inviting enough to try. As I pedalled away facing the Atlantic, I realised it was probably the fastest I’d moved in a week.