Gran Canaria

Public transport

Public transport in Gran Canaria

The Guaguas take you anywhere on the island

Exploring the island by public transport or a taxi from Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles or region is not difficult. Today there are only two companies that provide bus services on Gran Canaria , Global and Guaguas Municipales. These buses run 24/24 to almost every corner of Gran Canaria. Almost all buses are luxuriously furnished and mostly have air conditioning as it is sometimes necessary to the warm temperatures.

The bus company Global (blue buses) will take you anywhere on the island. The bus company Guaguas Municipales (yellow buses) operates primarily in the capital Las Palmas.

You can easily combine both bus companies for a tour in Gran Canaria. On this web page you will find information on both Global and Guaguas Municipales. On some pages, you will always find information which bus you should take to reach your destination.

Global your public transport on Gran Canaria

Global is the largest Spanish social carrier that local public transport by bus organized in Gran Canaria.

Public transport - Global - Gran CanariaGlobal is also active in Mauritania for public transport. It is a modern and efficient company, which you can see by the high technology buses. Nearly 700 employees provide daily the public transport network to the Canary Islands of the 18 million passengers annually.

Paying on the bus on Gran Canaria

Nothing is free, you must also pay in Gran Canaria for the bus. What are the opportunities to travel by bus on Gran Canaria?

Public transport - Global - Gran CanariaTicket on the bus. Just like me and you, you can ask for a ticket to the bus driver. These tickets have no discount. You simply need to tell the bus driver where you want to go.

Paying on the bus do you pay cash, and preferably with exact change so coins. A Euro note possibly can, but you should keep in mind that the bus driver did not much change.

A card from point A to point B. This bus pass you can purchase in advance. The AB bus pass is only valid on that route indicated on the map. With this card, you have a discount of 20% off the regular fare. Reloading the card at various outlets in Gran Canaria. See them here.

The TRANSGC card. This card gives you after approval an even better discount than the AB card. This TRANSGC bus pass, personally I think a good alternative if you opt for a long stay in Gran Canaria. The only disadvantage is that you have to pre-order this card at Global. The card itself is free, just reloading must be paid.

A recharge of the card must with a minimum amount of € 15. The total discount depending on how much you’ve charged up to 60%. With a top up between € 15 and € 59 (20%), between € 60 and € 99 (30%), from € 100 (40%). Pensioners and students receive an additional 20% discount. Families with at least four children also enjoy an additional discount. Reloading the card in the following outlets.

As already mentioned, you should order the card already in advance. Order your card a few weeks before you leave on vacation already at home. After about 10 days it can be picked up at the bus station San Telmo in Las Palmas. Download the application form, then send it via informacion-gexco@gexco.es to Global. The card is personal, Be sure to add a photograph and your ID number.

It is very important that you scan the TRANSGC card when boarding the bus at the reader. Equally important is that you scan the card TRANSGC again when you get off your bus stop. By scanning when entering and exiting the correct amount will be deducted. Habt not enough credit on your bus pass,, then it will be deducted from your next reload.

By bus to your hotel or apartment from the airport
If you’re going on holiday to Gran Canaria than you will usually get through your hotel through the travel company .

At the airport Las Palmas wait a hostess for example Jetairfly, Thomas Cook, Neckermann or Arke to pick you up.

The hostess will take you to the correct Canary bus that brings you to the chosen hotel. The travel time depends on how many people and hotels are to operate. Usually by coach be 3 to 4 hotels or apartments operated. Pets are not allowed on the bus from Global or the transfer bus from your tour operator. You will need to take a taxi at your own expense to your destination.

Taking the bus from and to the airport

Since November 2014 are the bus stops moved closer to the airport. These be find now closer to the airport building at the height of the GC-1 motorway. The following bus lines from Global are:

Line 1 – Las Palmas (1) – Airport (2) – Puerto de Mogan (3)
Fare: € 2.30 (1> 2) / € 7.75 (1> 3)
Line 5 – Las Palmas (1) – Airport (2) – Bahia Feliz (3) – Maspalomas (4)
Fare: € 2.30 (1> 2) / € 2.75 (2> 3) / € 4.05 (2> 4)
Line 11 – Las Palmas (1) – Airport (2) – Aguimes (3)
Fare: € 2.30 (1> 2) / € 2.40 (2> 3)
Line 36 – Telde (1) – Carrizal (2) – Airport (3) – Maspalomas (4)
Fare: € 1.40 (2> 3) / € 1.45 ((1> 3) / € 4.05 (3> 4)
Line 60 – Las Palmas (1) – Airport (2)
Fare: € 2.30 (1> 2) San Telmo / € 2.95 (1> 2) Santa Catalina
Line 66 – Airport (1) – Bahia Feliz (2) – Playa del Ingles (3) – Maspalomas Lighthouse (4)
Fare: € 2.75 (1> 2) – € 3.50 (1> 3) – € 4.05 (1> 4)
Line 90 – Telde (1) – Airport (2) – Bahia Feliz (3) – Arguineguin (4) – Playa del Ingles (5) – Maspalomas (6)
Fare: € 1.45 (1> 2) – € 2.75 (2> 3) – € 3.50 (2> 5) – € 4.05 (2> 6) – € 4.95 (2> 4)
This bus does just about all the major stops towards the south of the island. Here also is a stop provided at Las Palmas Airport. Do you want to go shopping in Vecindario from the south then this can too. There is a stop at the shopping mall Atlántico.
Here, pay attention when you go back to the south. As well outward and return stops the bus at the same bus stop. It is so careful that you do not take the wrong direction. Ask always the driver or the locals at the busstop.
The terminus of the bus is in Faro Maspalomas
Line 91 – Las Palmas (1) – Airport (2) – Arguineguin (3) – Playa del Cura / Patalavaca (4) – Puerto Rico (5)
Fare: € 2.30 (1> 2) – € 4.95 (2> 3) – € 5.25 (2> 4) – € 5.45 (2> 5)
This bus ride about every hour.

Guaguas Municipales in Las Palmas

The bus company Guaguas Municipales provides public transport in the capital Las Palmas. An extensive network of 40 bus routes which 3 lines at night, get daily accurately organized and conducted with 242 modern buses.

Public Transport - Guaguas Municipales - Las Palmas de Gran CanariaGuaguas Municipales is 365 days and 24 hours a day ready to transport you in the capital Las Palmas. With 30 million customers a year, you may Guaguas Municipales call an effective and efficient public service. New technologies such as applications for the smartphone, facilitating the use for the customer so that you are always up to date in real time.

GuaguasLPA – Android – IOS
Guagua BusAndroid
LPA MovilidadAndroidIOS

The network of Guaguas Municipales is divided into colors. To those colors you can recognize the frequency of the buses. Red such as bus No. 01 and No. 12 are buses with a high frequency and depart from the port of Las Palmas. The dark blue numbers L1, L2 and L3 are buses they driving only during the night (lineas luna) from 22:45 until 05:30.

Paying for the bus from Guaguas Municipales

Pay directly at the bus driver. When entering the bus you request a ticket to the bus driver. You paid cash with coins or euros from a maximum of 10 €. Pay as much as possible with exact change. The fare is € 1.40 (one way , for one person)

Bono-2 is a ride ticket that allows you to make two trips. You may once transfer to another bus to another destination. This card you must first purchases into local shops or bus stations such as San Telmo or Santa Catalina. The card costs € 2.40 (2 bus rides)

Transporte Público - Bono Guagua sin Contacto - Las Palmas de Gran CanariaBono Guagua sin Contacto (yellow electronic card (recommended)) is a ride ticket that allows you to make 10 trips. You may use all buses from Guaguas Municipales. The card must you first purchases into local shops or bus stations.

De Bono Guagua sin Contacto can may also charge through a network of terminals and 24 at 24 hours. Recharging can be done with a debit or credit cards. Guaguas Municipales is working to expand strongly the sales network from Las Palmas. You can payment terminals already found at Teatro Perez Galdos, Hoya de la Plata, Santa Catalina, San Telmo (Bus Station), Obelisco, Felo Monzón (Hipercor) y Mesa y López (Radio Ecca)

The card costs € 8.50 (10 bus rides). This card enables you to reload a minimum of € 8.50 and a maximum of € 50. One time there is a contribution of € 1.50 per card. This card must be scanned when boarding at a card reader until you see the green color.

Bono Bus (blue card) is a ride ticket with which you can make 10 bus rides. You allowed to use all the lines of Guaguas Municipales.. The card should in advance purchases at local shops or bus stations. The card costs € 8.50 (10 rides). This card can not be reloaded.

The cards you can purchase or reload in shops, bus stations, bazaars and yellow rechargeable devices. Some official offices are:
Parque de Santa Catalina – 07.45 to 19.45 hours ( map )
Teatro – 07.30 to 20.00 hours ( map )
Obelisco – 07.30 to 14.30 hours. The first and last week of the month also open from 15:30 until 20:00 hours. ( map )
Estación de Guaguas de San Telmo – 07.00 to 19.00 hours. Saturday and holidays 08:00 to 13:00 hours. ( map )
Intercambior Modal de Santa Catalina – 07.00 to 14.00 hours. Saturday and holidays 08:00 to 13:00 hours. ( map )
Other addresses for purchase of bus tickets can be found here. You can search by area where you find yourself in Las Palmas, 7 Palmas, Vecindario or Jinamar

A tour around the island by public transport
In the capital, Las Palmas you can use the yellow-colored buses “Guaguas Municipales”. All information on this can be found on the website. This is only available in English and Spanish. These buses are yellow in color, the tickets of the Global blue buses are not valid here. A city trip by bus is possible with the special City Sightseeing Las Palmas bus. This trip takes about 90 minutes.

For info you can download the main schedule of the bus on Gran Canaria.

“Ida” = Outward voyage ( single trip )
“Vuelta” = Return trip ( single trip )
“Ida y Vuelta” = There and back trip

From Maspalomas you can easily explore the whole island by bus.
At the bottom you can list as the list of all the available including bus stops, and download a map of Gran Canaria.

All bus services – download
Map of Gran Canaria – download
Bus services from the airport – download

Distances to the main beach destinations

The mentioned distances to the most tourist areas on Gran Canaria from Las Palmas Airport
Playa del Inglés – 31 miles
Maspalomas and Meloneras – 34 km
Playa de Amadores – 53 miles
Playa Taurito – 59 miles

A taxi on Gran Canaria is a good alternative
Taking a taxi in Gran Canaria is also a good alternative. Taxis finding is not so difficult. They drive around constantly, you simply need to stabbing your hand up and there’s your taxi. The official taxi services on the island of Gran Canaria are always provided with a trip meter that indicates the amount during the ride. The indicated rates are per taxi, per trip, according to the official rates approved by the Government of the Canary Islands

Mind you, ask if you enter a price for your final destination. As long as you stay within a certain area such as Playa del Ingles Maspalomas / Meloneras you + / pay – 4 to € 5. Explore the south of Gran Canaria by taxi and not expensive
During the night hours, you pay a little more. The Las Palmas airport to Maspalomas include two zones, which can be expensive again.A taxi from another zone recognize your right to a different color.

Feel free to have a chat with the taxi drivers, which is sometimes a separate experience. Download hier info on taxis to and from the airport. (Spanish)
Download here more info about taxis in the south of the island. (German, English and Spanish)

Visit islands by plane or boat

If you Belgium or the UK have exchanged for Gran Canaria or for an extra-long stay on the island as a holiday then you can take the ferry or plane from the Gran Canaria Airport or the port of Arguineguin a weekend getaway to the other Canary Islands. More info …

What can I take on the bus ?

In principle you may on public transport on Gran Canaria almost take everything on the bus. suitcases, backpacks, utensils for the beach, surfboards, etc .. The condition is that you do not disturb other passengers on the bus. If necessary, the driver will kindly ask you to post the material at the bottom of the luggage compartment of the bus.

All items should also be sufficiently protected to any other persons not to injure. A folding bike inside the bus is allowed with this already densely pleated. You must place it in the appropriate place in the middle of the bus. You are still responsible in the event that someone will get hurt.

Dogs and other pets are not allowed on the Global bus. As well allowed is a service dog or guide dog. Persons with disabilities and travel in a wheelchair must place themselves on the bus in the opposite direction. The planned safety belt must be used. You can better inform the driver of the bus that you are with a wheelchair patient. The driver will then take the necessary steps to help you further.

A buggy for children is allowed on the bus if necessary. The child must then be fastened with a seat belt in the buggy. It is better to place the buggy in the luggage compartment and take the child on the lap. Places for child seats are fitted on some buses. You should also attach these security rules.