The local buses to Las Palmas from Gran Canaria Airport

The airport of Gran Canaria is about 22 kms south of San Telmo Bus Station and 25kms south of Santa Catalina Bus Station. In a taxi, it will take about 20 minutes and cost you around EU 30. In the local "Global" buses, it will cost you EU 2.30 and take around half an hour. Not bad if you ask me.

If I can give you one tip about using the buses in Gran Canaria, and one tip only, it would definitely be to download the guagua bus app. This app is really well put together, it is available in German, Spanish and English and it will give you all the information on bus timetables, maps, lines etc for both local yellow guagua and blue global buses. As long as you have an internet connection. Please see my blog on how to get the most out of the app.

My blog on the app: http://lasislascanaria.blogspot.com.es/2015_03_01_archive.html

Download the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mydatafocus.GuaguaBus&hl=it

The local buses that leave from the airport are blue "Global" buses. The local bus stops at the airport are located at the top level of the airport (on the departures level). I suggest going up the escalators while you are inside the airport to the departures level before exiting the airport, as it can be a little confusing finding the bus stops from the bottom level. Beware that there will be signs to buses that are actually tour buses, so make sure you are following signs for "Global" buses at all times. 

Unfortunately, the path to the buses is not very well marked but if you keep walking in a northerly direction towards the last building at the airport, you should hopefully see the bus stop. The bus stops are in front of a yellow outdoor car park on the departures level. Once you make it to the bus stops, first give yourself a pat on the back (you deserve it) and then find the bus stop you need. There are two bus stops: one which will be for buses heading south to the beach resorts (ie. Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles, Puerto Rico etc) and one for buses heading north to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ie. San Telmo, Santa Catalina etc.).

Getting from the Airport to San Telmo Bus Station/Santa Catalina Station in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

There are plenty of options for getting to San Telmo Bus Station in Las Palmas via public transport when you arrive at Gran Canaria airport. San Telmo Bus Station is near the neighbourhoods of Vegueta and Triana, which are popular tourist destinations. San Telmo is also the main bus station in Las Palmas, meaning there are a multitude of local yellow "guagua" buses headed to all different parts of the city from there. You will find a great information desk there as well with English speakers available. The price of the tickets on all buses from the airport to San Telmo Bus Station is EU 2.30 each and you can pay this directly to the bus driver when you board.

Santa Catalina Bus Station, situated in Santa Catalina Park, is very close to Las Canteras Beach, which is the big tourist hub here in Las Palmas. Catching the bus here will most likely put you very close to your hotel and there is also an information centre in Santa Catalina Park. The price of the airport bus to Santa Catalina Park is EU 2.95 each which you can pay to the bus driver directly.

There is a dedicated airport bus, the number 60 "Global" that leaves the airport at 15 minutes past the hour and 50 minutes past the hour everyday (including public holidays & weekends) between 6:15 - 23:15 in the direction of Las Palmas. It will display "60 - Aeropuerto - L.Palmas de GC San Telmo". The drivers always open the luggage compartments so that you can put your bags underneath the bus. The number 60 is a direct service to San Telmo Bus Station (although sometimes it does make a stop before San Telmo, depending on the driver). Check the number 60 timetable here: http://www.globalsu.es/lineas/linea60.pdf

Note: the number 60 services that leave the airport at 15 minutes past the hour stop at San Telmo Bus Station for around 15 minutes before continuing on to Santa Catalina Bus Station. This is the only direct service to Santa Catalina Bus Station from the airport. There are a multitude of yellow guagua buses that depart San Telmo Bus Station for Santa Catalina. The people in the information booth there will be able to help you out with this.

There are other options for buses into San Telmo Bus Station (Las Palmas) from the airport. The next quickest service will be the number 91 - it departs the airport every hour (on the hour (around about) between 07:00 - 21:00 everyday including public holidays and weekends) and is a semi express service to San Telmo Station. It is possible to put your bags underneath this bus as well, but you may need to ask the bus driver to open the baggage compartment for you. See the number 91 timetable here: http://www.globalsu.es/lineas/linea91.pdf

Other services that you can board from the airport to San Telmo Bus Station in Las Palmas are the: number 11 and number 1. Both of these services stop at every bus stop back to San Telmo so may take you a little longer but still arrive at the destination. Also, note that you won't be able to put your bags underneath the bus, but they don't mind you lugging your suitcases on board. See the number 11 timetable here: http://www.globalsu.es/lineas/linea11.pdf  and the number 1 timetable here: http://www.globalsu.es/lineas/linea1.pdf

If you are arriving late at night or in the early hours of the morning, the number 5 global bus is the nocturnal airport bus. It leaves at 22:10, 00:10 and then every hour until 05:10 towards San Telmo Bus Station in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Waiting times may vary for this service as it is not express. See the timetable here: http://www.globalsu.es/lineas/linea5.pdf

Global Bus to Tejeda on Gran Canaria

The beaches in Gran Canaria are great for topping up on some Vitamin D and relaxation, but if you want to see what really makes this island special, then you absolutely must head to the middle of the island. 

Your whole perspective of the island will change when you get away from the beach resorts and up into these amazingly picturesque mountains, where sometimes the weather is better than on the coast (it is true, I swear!). The place is BEAUTIFUL, with its fascinating contrast of dry volcanic vegetation and really green pine forests. The area is filled with achievable hiking options for all levels of fitness and these hiking trails are clearly marked the whole way through the area. All of this, and it is only 45 kms from the coast!

Driving is convenient of course, as it gives you the flexibility to go and leave whenever you want. But don't despair if you don't want to drive, as you do have a variety of options with public transport in Gran Canaria. 

We have caught the bus to the mountains on three occasions, once from Maspalomas and twice from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and we plan on doing it again many times. It is so easy and cheap on the bus, plus it takes away the stress of driving on those narrow roads with limited visibility around sharp corners. The drivers of these buses are excellent and know the place like the back of their hands which makes them a great resource of information.

The hike from Cruz de Tejeda to Tejeda

Tejeda

I am writing these blogs in order to help to you see more of the island by bus. I have seen many confused tourists on the buses here in Gran Canaria and would love to pass on what I have learnt along the way. It is best to plan your journey before going to the bus station as there are limited services to Tejeda and you don't want to waste your precious holiday time waiting at bus stations.

If I can give you one tip about using the buses in Gran Canaria, and one tip only, it would definitely be to download the guagua bus app. This app is really well put together, it is available in German, Spanish and English and it will give you all the information on bus timetables, maps, lines etc for both local yellow guagua and blue global buses. As long as you have an internet connection. Please see my blog on how to get the most out of the app:

http://lasislascanaria.blogspot.com.es/2015_03_01_archive.html

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mydatafocus.GuaguaBus&hl=it

GETTING TO AND FROM TEJEDA FROM FARO DE MASPALOMAS BUS STATION:

Tejeda is a great example of the mountainous villages on Gran Canaria and has a lot of options for eating, museums, artisanal shops and of course, hiking. There are PLENTY of other towns to visit along the way and the number 18 bus stops in most of them. Many of these towns have options for accommodation and hiking as well, so if you plan ahead you can see a lot of the place using the bus. I am going to discuss Tejeda, as it is at the end of the global bus line from the Faro de Maspalomas main bus station.

The main bus station in Maspalomas, Faro de Maspalomas

The number 18 global bus, which departs from the Faro de Maspalomas main bus station, heads to and from Tejeda twice a day everyday. The bus is a blue global bus and leaves from platform number 5 at Faro de Maspalomas main bus station. It makes a few stops in the beach towns of Maspalomas/Playa del Ingles, then it starts its journey up into the centre of the island where it stops in some small towns along the way and terminates in Tejeda. 

The guagua bus app also has maps of the specific bus stops along the number 18 bus route, so you can see if there is a more convenient stop closer to your accommodation than the Faro de Maspalomas main bus station. 

Stops in Maspalomas on the 18 global buas, image from the guagua bus app

Stops near Playa del Ingles, number 18 global bus, image from the guagua bus app

Monday to Sunday, the number 18 global bus leaves Faro de Maspalomas bus station for Tejeda at 0930 am and 1500 hours. Monday to Sunday the number 18 global bus leaves Tejeda for Faro de Maspalomas main bus station at 1130 and 1700 hours. You can find information on timetables here: http://www.globalsu.es/lineas/linea18.pdf. 

NOTE: when you see a highlighted box on the global bus timetable (usually in yellow, grey or dark green) this indicates a change in the normal route. For instance, for the number 18 global bus, the services highlighted in yellow are "hasta/desde (to/from) San Bartolome de Tirajana" which is a town about 24 kms south of Tejeda. The highlighted boxes for other global bus lines can signify something different, such an extra stop or going via somewhere different. However, for the number 18 global bus service, these yellow, grey and dark green services do NOT run all the way to Tejeda. Of course, if you want to go somewhere further south of Tejeda, these altered services may work for you but make sure you read the information carefully when planning your journey.

NOTE: the departure times displayed on the bus timetables throughout Gran Canaria are always the times that the bus departs its original departure point. It doesn't matter which bus stop you are at, or how many stops down the line you are from the original depature point. If you are not at the original departure point and your bus doesn't arrive at the time displayed on the timetable, don't freak out.  It is on its way. 

The journey from Maspalomas - Tejeda will take around one hour and a half in total and will cost you 6.15 euros each, which you can pay directly to the bus driver. The views along the way are absolutely spectacular, you will not be disappointed. I recommend sitting at the front of the bus if you are prone to getting car sick and do not attempt journey hungover, trust me on that one :)

GETTING TO AND FROM TEJEDA FROM LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA:

It is possible to make the journey to Tejeda from the capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. I will refer to San Telmo main bus station as the depature point. There are regular buses to and from San Telmo Bus Station with the local yellow guagua buses in Las Palmas, and almost certainly there will be one near your accommodation, so check the app (link above) for timetables.

San Telmo Bus Station, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

The 303 blue global bus from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (San Telmo) will take you to San Mateo where you will need to change onto the 305 global bus from San Mateo to Tejeda. The 303 runs every half an hour, on the hour and half past the hour, everyday to and from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria's San Telmo bus station - bus terminal 4. The 303 bus ticket will cost you 2.55 euros each, which you can pay directly to the bus driver, and takes around 30-40 minutes from start to finish. The timetable for the 303 can be found here: http://www.globalsu.es/lineas/linea303.pdf

The 305 blue global bus has around 6 services per day (except bank holidays) to and from San Mateo to Tejeda. It also costs 2.55 euros each and you can pay the driver as you get on the bus. This journey takes around an hour, and again, has some stunning views as you drive from the green area surrounding San Mateo and into the dry volcanic crater surrounding Tejeda. Also, keep an eye out for Teide, the volcano on the island of Tenerife which towers over everything in this area. It is hard to believe it is actually on another island! It is well worth the trip to see this contrast!

The hike to Cruz de Tejeda (Teide, the volcano of Tenerife can be seen in the background)

Find the information on 305 global bus timetables here: http://www.globalsu.es/lineas/linea305.pdf. You will see that this bus timetable also has some highlighted yellow, grey and dark green changes to routes but these services all run to and from Tejeda/San Mateo. The only changes are detours to other smaller towns along the way, or swapping buses to smaller ones along the way, which will not greatly affect your journey.

I really hope you enjoy your journey to Tejeda as it is a fantastic place, especially if you like hiking or just want to escape the busy beach resorts for a day or two. There are always options to get off the bus at earlier stops and hike your way into Tejeda for something different.

Please feel free to ask any questions if you have any and I will endeavour to find out more for you. Feedback is also very welcome :)

Maspalomas or Playa del Ingles by bus from Las Palmas

I am living here in Gran Canaria, and am enjoying the accessibility this island offers with its public transport network. I have thus far been extremely impressed with its reliability and coverage. I use the bus everyday for general everyday purposes without any problems here in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. But even more impressively than that, I have been able to use the local bus to reach secluded hiking, to go to numerous beaches and also to visit a few wineries in the hills using the local bus which I think is pretty great (as well as unbelievably cheap and good for the environment etc etc). 

I would love to share some of what I have learned so far, to help those of you who might find the system a little confusing!

There are a multitude of options for getting down to the southern beaches from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This blog will only address Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles, but I will be writing more on how to get to the other beaches, the airport and (much more importantly) up into the hills at a later point. 

The blue Global buses are the ones that are going to take you there, departing from San Telmo Bus Station just near Triana in Palmas de Gran Canaria. There are also services from Estacion Santa Catalina, nearer to Las Canteras, but I am going to focus on getting there from San Telmo Bus Station.

San Telmo Bus Station, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

If I can give you one tip about using the buses in Gran Canaria and one tip only, it would definitely be to download the guagua bus app. This app is really well put together, it is available in German, Spanish and English and it will give you all the information on bus timetables, maps, lines etc for both local yellow guagua and blue global buses. As long as you have an internet connection. Please see my blog on how to get the most out of the app.

My blog on the app: http://lasislascanaria.blogspot.com.es/2015_03_01_archive.html

Download the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mydatafocus.GuaguaBus&hl=it

TO GET TO MASPALOMAS OR PLAYA DEL INGLES:

NOTE: discounted return tickets are available for weekend travel to the southern beaches until Puerto Rico, only if you are planning on going and returning on the weekend/public holidays from Las Palmas. For residents, there are also special discounted tickets for weekend travel to the south, as well as multi-stop passes. These tickets are available for purchase from the "bono" machines at San Telmo Bus Station. Please see the global website for more details: http://www.globalsu.es/es/tarjetas_magneticas.php

The best option by far is to get the blue Global directo bus from San Telmo Bus Station, the number 50 from platform 26 (Las Palmas - Faro Maspalomas). A regular paper ticket will cost you 6.15 euros each way, which you can pay directly to the bus driver. The bus is a direct service from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria which makes its first two stops in Playa del Ingles before making a few stops in Maspalomas and ending up at the main bus station there (Faro Maspalomas). It is by far the quickest and easiest way to get to either of these beach towns by bus. Expect the journey to take around 30-45 minutes. It leaves 5 minutes past the hour every hour from 0705 - 1705 most days, but make sure you check the timetables at the bus stops or online before travelling.

Timetable for number 50 global bus: http://www.globalsu.es/lineas/linea50.pdf

Note: bus timetables at the actual bus stops often do not display a timetable for Sundays (Domingos), but in my experience, it is usually just the same as the Saturday (Sabado) timetable.

The final stop, Faro Maspalomas

Screenshot taken from the guagua/global app

Stops in Playa del Inglés

Stops in Maspalomas

Of course, there are other options to get to these beach towns but beware that some of the local services stop at every single town, meaning your journey could take up to 2 hours or longer. The number 30 global bus from platform 24 at San Telmo Bus Station would be your next best bet, it has a few more services throughout the day, but also has a few more stops in its route so it will take a bit longer. The number 30 global bus originates at Estacion Santa Catalina before passing through San Telmo, so it is possibly an easier option for those staying out at Las Canteras who wish to get to Playa del Ingles or Maspalomas.


Timetable for the number 30 global bus: http://www.globalsu.es/lineas/linea30.pdf

NOTE: the departure times displayed on the bus timetables throughout Gran Canaria are always the times that the bus departs its original departure point. It doesn't matter which bus stop you are at, or how many stops down the line you are from the original depature point. If you are not at the original departure point and your bus doesn't arrive at the time displayed on the timetable, don't freak out.  It is on its way. 

Using the Guagua bus app to your advantage in Gran Canaria

Getting around the island of Gran Canaria on public transport is really easy and convenient. Seriously, trust me. I am going to try and explain a little about the guagua bus app, which I think is the best tool to use when trying to figure out the best bus to catch in Gran Canaria.

The yellow 'Guagua' buses, are only for travel within Las Palmas city. The blue 'Global' buses, are for travel outside of Las Palmas. Whether it be to somewhere as close as Tafira or somewhere as far away as Puerto Mogan. Global and Guagua are two separate companies.

Your most helpful tool by far, is the Guagua Bus app. This can easily be downloaded at the iphone/android app store. There are a couple of different apps available but this one is the best:

Although it is called the 'Guagua Bus' app, it has all the information you might need for travelling on either the Yellow or Blue buses (Guagua/Global bus companies). You will need an internet connection/data to use the app so make sure you do your research before you travel if you do not have a sim card with data.

There is also the Global website: http://www.globalsu.es/ which has all the details of the lines and timetables for the Blue buses. And for travel around Las Palmas in the Yellow buses, there is the Guagua Bus website: http://www.guaguas.com/

The thing I love most about the app, which sets it apart from the websites, is that it will show you the map of each route, including the exact location of each stop. Here, you can check that the bus actually goes where you want and how far you will have to walk from bus stops to get where you want. You can even click on the stop that you need to find out it's exact name. The app combines both Global and Guagua, making is really easy to find your way wherever you want to go on the island.

This is the opening page of the app. The search bar/points of interest button is helpful for finding the bus routes that lead to these places whereas the 'Calculate Route' button is helpful for finding the best way to get from where you are, to where you want to go. You can use the buttons on the very bottom of the page to find out the specifics of any route of any bus line.

Click 'Municipal' for the Guagua Yellow buses, or 'Global' for the Blue buses. A list of all the possible bus routes will appear. You will see both the number of the bus, and the route (which is also displayed on the front of each bus).

 

Click on the bus route you prefer and a list of every single stop along that route will appear from departure - destination. If you want to see where the bus stops on the return trip, simply click on the "return" button at the top of the screen:

 

You can click on any stop and you will find listed its exact address and the hours of departure for that bus line. Note: the hours of departure are when the bus leaves its original departure point, they are not the times that it leaves that particular stop. You can also use the 'location' button to see its exact location on the map. Just press the 'back' button whenever you need to exit a screen.

And this brings me to the MOST helpful button you will find in this entire app. It is on the right hand side of the screen, when you are looking at the list of stops for a particular route. The "Map" button.

This will show you exactly on the map where each stop is. You can zoom to your hearts content to see street names etc and the maps are quite detailed which makes them an excellent reference. When you have internet access, or data on your phone, you can find out your exact position in relation to these stops by pressing the location button on the top right hand side of the map screen.

 

The location button

Tip for finding your location: If you do not have internet connection, or data, you can simply switch on your GPS and open the google maps/maps with me app. After a few minutes (you need to be patient), your location will appear on the map, even without an internet connection. It's like magic (but really it just uses satelites to find your general position)! This way you can keep a track of where you are while you are on the bus.

If you are looking at the map in your Guagua Bus app, and would like to know what the name of a particular stop is, just click on it and all the information you need will pop up. I usually take a screen shot, if the name or location is a bit obscure, to show the bus driver who usually knows what you mean.

So there is a little crash course on how to use the most helpful public transport app in Las Palmas. I have seen a lot of confused tourists out there and I know it can be a bit confusing to begin with, but it is very easy once you get used to the app.

I will be writing some helpful blogs on the best ways to get to the South/Centre/airport of the island via bus, the best public transport tickets to buy and a few other helpful things about Las Palmas in general.