In recent years around 15 passenger ships
have called at Aden and use the dolphin berths at Tawahi, or the alongside
berths at Ma'alla.
The Tourist Terminal, or Prince of Wales Pier, was built at Tawahi near the
entrance to the harbour in 1919 to serve a growing volume of passenger traffic
at Aden. The building provides services for passengers from ships calling at the
dolphin berths, 6 In and 6 Out, as well as owners and crews from the large
number of yachts calling at Aden each year. Ships calling at the dolphins can
use their own boats to transport passengers to and from the Terminal, or the
port can provide a ferry service using its own passenger boats. Minimum depth
alongside is 4.0 meters at chart datum. The Yemen Coastguard base is immediately
to the east of the Terminal.
The Coastguard is responsible for security at the Terminal, and inside
port limits generally. Visitors to Aden often visit historic and other sites in
Aden, including the famous water tanks at Tawila, the military and Aden museums,
Seera Island and castle, the bird-watching and environmental areas within the
Aden lagoons and at Hiswah, and the beaches at Gold Mohur and Bureiqah (Little
Aden).
Other attractions and places of historic interest are also popular. Passengers
normally make such visits using coaches that collect them from the Terminal and
return them at the end of their stay. Some visitors take the option of flying to
one of the old cities of Yemen and returning to their vessel at the next call in
Hodeidah or Mukalla etc..