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.
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| The hike from Cruz de Tejeda to Tejeda |
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| 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:
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.
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| 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.
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| Stops in Maspalomas on the 18 global buas, image from the guagua bus app |
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| 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 :)
