Getting around · Tenerife · Spain
Getting around Tenerife
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Martina Nolte, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Quick answer
Tenerife is about 80 km long. The TF-1 motorway along the south and east coasts and the TF-5 in the north link the resorts, Santa Cruz and both airports. TITSA buses (guaguas) cover the island and a tram links Santa Cruz with La Laguna, but mountain areas such as Teide, Masca and Anaga are far easier with a car. Not for a beach stay in the south, where buses and promenades work well.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Bus
- Airports
- TFS, TFN
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
- Travel pass
- Ten+ card
Ways to get around
Bus
TITSA's green buses connect the airports, resorts, Santa Cruz and most towns, with fast services on the motorways and slower village routes; a limited service reaches Teide National Park.
A rechargeable Ten+ card gives lower fares than paying the driver in cash.
Tram
Metrotenerife's line 1 runs frequently between central Santa Cruz and La Laguna, and line 2 links La Cuesta with Tíncer; it is the easiest way between the two cities.
Car
Car hire is widely available at both airports and gives easy access to Teide, Masca, Anaga and the north; mountain roads are narrow, steep and winding.
Fill up before driving into Teide National Park, which has no petrol stations.
Ferry
Ferries sail from Los Cristianos to La Gomera in under an hour, and fast ferries from Santa Cruz serve Gran Canaria.
Taxi
Licensed, metered taxis wait at ranks in the resorts, towns and airports and are the easiest way home after the last buses.
Walking
A seafront promenade of roughly 8–10 km links Los Cristianos, Las Américas and Costa Adeje, and the old centres of La Laguna and La Orotava are best explored on foot.
Tickets and passes
Ten+ card
A rechargeable travel card valid on TITSA buses and the Santa Cruz–La Laguna tram, with lower fares than cash tickets.
From the airport
Tenerife South (TFS) is about 15–20 minutes by car from Los Cristianos, Las Américas and Costa Adeje, and TITSA buses link it with the resorts and Santa Cruz. Tenerife North (TFN), near La Laguna, handles mainly inter-island and Spanish flights and is about 15 minutes from Santa Cruz and 30 minutes from Puerto de la Cruz.
Do you need a car?
Not for a beach stay in the south, where buses and promenades work well. To see Teide, Masca, Anaga and the north at your own pace, hiring a car for a few days is the most practical option.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| La Gomera | About 50 minutes by ferry | Ferry from Los Cristianos to San Sebastián de La Gomera |
| Gran Canaria | About 80 minutes by fast ferry | Fast ferry from Santa Cruz to Agaete, then bus or car |
| Teno massif and Punta de Teno | About 1 hour by car from Costa Adeje | Car via Santiago del Teide and Buenavista del Norte |
| Santa Cruz and La Laguna from the south | About 1 hour by car or express bus | TF-1 motorway or TITSA express bus, then the tram |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Tenerife?
Not for a beach stay in the south, where buses and promenades work well. To see Teide, Masca, Anaga and the north at your own pace, hiring a car for a few days is the most practical option.
+How do you get from the airport to Tenerife?
Tenerife South (TFS) is about 15–20 minutes by car from Los Cristianos, Las Américas and Costa Adeje, and TITSA buses link it with the resorts and Santa Cruz. Tenerife North (TFN), near La Laguna, handles mainly inter-island and Spanish flights and is about 15 minutes from Santa Cruz and 30 minutes from Puerto de la Cruz.
+What is the best way to get around Tenerife?
Bus: TITSA's green buses connect the airports, resorts, Santa Cruz and most towns, with fast services on the motorways and slower village routes; a limited service reaches Teide National Park.