Getting around Tenerife

Tenerife has two airports: Tenerife South (TFS), close to the main southern resorts, and Tenerife North (TFN), near La Laguna. At Tenerife South, buses stop at the terminal on floor 0, arrivals.

Line 40 runs to Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje bus station, line 10 runs to Santa Cruz, and line 415 serves El Fraile and San Isidro. Night line 711 links Santa Cruz, the airport, Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje. Line 343 runs directly between the two airports with no stops in about 50 minutes. The airport has taxi ranks and car hire offices.

TITSA runs the island's buses, known locally as guaguas, and its network reaches every corner of Tenerife. Buses are a practical way to move between the resorts and to reach towns such as Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava and Santa Cruz. TITSA buses also run up to Teide National Park from Costa Adeje and from Puerto de la Cruz, and bus 355 from Santiago del Teide is the only way to reach the start of the Masca walk.

Timetables and fares are on the TITSA website. Phone help is on +34 922 531 300 from 8am to 10pm.

Metropolitano de Tenerife runs a tram between Santa Cruz and La Laguna, the old university city just above the capital. It is the easiest way to combine the two in a day without worrying about parking.

Taxis are white, all have meters, and several companies operate in each district. They are the simplest option for short hops between resorts, for restaurants in the evening and for the airport run with luggage.

To see the whole island, a hire car is the easiest way. Hire companies have offices at the airports, the ports and the main resorts. With a car, Teide, the Anaga mountains, Garachico and the villages of the north are easy day trips.

The main routes to the national park are the TF-21 from La Orotava in the north and from the south through Vilaflor, the TF-24 from La Laguna and the TF-38 from the west coast. For Masca, leave the car at the cemetery car park in Santiago del Teide and take the bus. For La Gomera, Fred. Olsen carries cars on the ferry from Los Cristianos.

If you would rather not drive, most day trips collect you from the main resorts. A Teide tour with the cable car included, a whale watching trip with pickup or a guided day on La Gomera all take the planning off your hands.