One of the major decisions you have to make for your Gran Canaria trip is whether to rent a car or not. Obviously, since you are reading this, you plan on having a more active trip than most visitors to the island. In that case, you should seriously consider getting a car; it is way more convenient. The road network on the island is generally excellent, and most towns have public and private parking locations. Besides, the island is not too big, and within 75-90 minutes at most, you can travel between any two points, however remote they may be. You are probably used to driving longer distances in your own country.
If you are renting a car, Cicar is the best company. They have plenty of locations and a kick-ass no-excess insurance included in the rental.
This is not to say that public transport is inconvenient. Taxis in Las Palmas are well-known as being the cheapest in Spain, and they can be hailed on the street (no need to pre-book them like in the UK).
For longer distance trips, you can get pretty much everywhere with Global buses (or ‘guaguas’ as we call them here). The 91 airport express service is excellent and well signposted in the arrivals hall. If you step out of the terminal, you can see the stop across the parking.
Global also has a wonderful English website with a helpful route map. All the municipalities are covered, even though some of the highland ones will require a connection (e.g., A trip from Las Palmas to Tejeda will require a transfer in San Mateo). You can pay contactless on the bus.
The main bus exchange is next to Parque San Telmo, in the city centre. You might hear locals refer to it as ‘El hoyo’ (‘the hole’). All services have a predetermined platform (see below), so you can find your bus quickly if you arrive with little time.
To complement the bus network, you should consider renting a bike as well. I cannot recommend a particular company, but there are many available in Gran Canaria. This will be useful for your mountain trips, and you can transport your bike around on the global buses. The driver will open the baggage compartment at the bus stop, and you can stow your bike yourself.
(Featured photo by Marcin Jozwiak on Pexels.com)
The Fire Demon 