Gran Canaria Bus Guide 2025: Complete Insider Guide for Public Transport
Current insider guide for buses in Gran Canaria 2025 - from someone who lives here and uses public transport daily
Why you can trust this guide:
As a German who has lived in Gran Canaria for 8 years and is married to a Canarian, I use public transport almost daily. All information here is current (as of June 2025) and tested firsthand. This guide helps you save money and avoid typical tourist pitfalls.
🚌 The Two Bus Companies (Important to Understand!)
Guaguas Municipales
YELLOW Buses
- ✅ ONLY for Las Palmas City
- ✅ Very cheap with Bono card
- ✅ Frequent connections
- ❌ Not to the airport
- ❌ Not to the resorts
Global
BLUE/TURQUOISE Buses
- ✅ Covers the whole island
- ✅ Airport ↔ Resorts
- ✅ Las Palmas ↔ South
- ✅ Night connections
- ⚠️ More expensive than city buses
🚨 Important: The tickets are NOT valid between companies! A Guaguas ticket doesn't work on Global buses and vice versa.
💶 Current Prices & Tickets (June 2025)
Guaguas Municipales (Yellow City Buses)
Single Tickets
- • Single ride (cash or card): €1.40
- • ⚠️ Very expensive without Bono card!
Bono Guagua (Recommended!)
- • Single ride: €0.42 (70% savings!)
- • Card: €8.50 (10 rides)
- • One-time fee: €1.50
- • 💰 Pays off after 3-4 rides
🛒 Buy: San Telmo Bus Station, Park Santa Catalina, or at "Estancos" (kiosks). Ask for "Bono Guagua Sin Contacto".
Global (Blue Island Buses)
| From/To | Price | Journey Time | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport → Las Palmas | €2.30-2.95 | 30 Min | Every 30 Min |
| Airport → Maspalomas | €4.05 | 40 Min | Hourly |
| Las Palmas → Maspalomas | €5.60-6.25 | 45-60 Min | Every 30 Min |
| Las Palmas → Puerto Mogán | €6.80 | 90 Min | Every 20 Min |
💳 Payment: Cash (max €20 bills), card or TransGC card. IMPORTANT: Tell the driver your exact destination!
🗺️ Most Important Routes for Tourists
Line 60: Las Palmas ↔ Airport (DIRECT)
Fastest connection between city and airport
Route Details
- Journey time: 30 minutes
- Price: €2.30 (San Telmo) / €2.95 (Santa Catalina)
- Frequency: Every 30 minutes
- Operating hours: 05:15 - 22:15
Stops
- • Santa Catalina (Las Palmas)
- • San Telmo (Las Palmas)
- • Hospital Insular
- • Gran Canaria Airport
✈️ Insider tip: Perfect for airport transfers. Buses run until just after 10 PM!
Line 1: Las Palmas ↔ Puerto de Mogán
The most important tourist route - connects everything
Route Details
- Journey time: 120+ minutes (complete)
- Price: Depending on destination (€2.30 - €6.80)
- Frequency: Every 20 minutes (06:00-18:00)
- Operating hours: 06:00 - 22:00+
Important Stops
- • San Telmo (Las Palmas)
- • Airport
- • Maspalomas
- • Vecindario
- • Arguineguín
- • Puerto Rico
- • Puerto de Mogán
🏖️ Perfect for: All southern resorts. Stops really everywhere, almost at every corner!
Line 5: Las Palmas ↔ Maspalomas (NIGHT)
Your lifesaver after 10:00 PM!
Route Details
- Journey time: 60 minutes
- Price: €4.05 (to Maspalomas)
- Frequency: Hourly
- Operating hours: 20:00 - 06:00
Route
- • Las Palmas (San Telmo)
- • Airport
- • Bahía Feliz
- • Playa del Inglés
- • Maspalomas
🌙 Lifesaver: Only continuous night connection to southern resorts!
Line 66: Airport → Maspalomas (DIRECT)
Express to southern beaches
Route Details
- Journey time: 40 minutes
- Price: €4.05
- Frequency: Hourly
- Operating hours: 07:30 - 20:30
Stops
- • Airport
- • Bahía Feliz
- • San Agustín
- • Playa del Inglés
- • Maspalomas
🎯 Ideal for: Direct transfer from airport to southern hotels without detours!
📱 The Best Bus Apps (That I Use Daily)
Google Maps
My #1 tip!
- ✅ Usually more accurate than official apps
- ✅ Shows all lines
- ✅ Real-time data
- ✅ Works offline
Simply choose "public transport"
Guaguas Municipales
For city buses
- ✅ Real-time data
- ✅ Top up Bono card
- ❌ Only Las Palmas
Global Móvil
For island buses
- ✅ All Global routes
- ✅ Offline timetables
- ❌ No real-time data!!
🤫 My real secret tip:
99% of Canarians use Google Maps. Simply enter start and destination, choose "public transport" - done! Usually more accurate than all other apps combined.
💡 Insider Tips That Really Save Money
💰 Save money
- • Get Bono card! Cheaper from 3 rides onwards
- • With Global: Name exact destination (often saves money)
- • Bring small bills (max. €20)
- • TransGC card only for long-term stays
🕐 Save time
- • Early morning: Most punctual buses
- • 14-16h: Fewer buses (siesta)
- • Friday evenings: Plan for traffic jams
- • Sundays: Significantly (!) fewer connections
🎯 Practical tricks
- • Line 5 = Your night lifesaver!
- • Take screenshots of timetables
- • USB charging ports in Global buses
- • Bring jacket (strong air conditioning)
🌤️ Weather tips
- • During Calima: Delays are normal
- • Strong wind: North-South routes affected
- • Rain: Plan more time
- • Summer: Travel early morning (cooler)
🌙 Night Service & Alternatives
⚠️ Important to know
Most buses do not run after 10:30 PM. EXCEPTION: Line 5 runs all night!
Night buses (limited)
- Line 5 Las Palmas ↔ Maspalomas (20:00-06:00)
- Guaguas Only few city bus night lines
Line 5 is your friend after 10:00 PM!
Alternatives after 10:30 PM
- • Taxi: Las Palmas-Maspalomas ~€50-60
- • Hotel transfer: Often cheaper
- • Plan earlier: Last bus usually 10:00 PM
Tip: Taxis are more expensive at night (surcharge)
⚠️ Avoid Common Pitfalls
Pitfall #1: Not specifying destination precisely
Problem: "Maspalomas" has 5+ different stops! Unclear destination = higher price.
Solution: Say exactly: "Maspalomas Faro" or "Maspalomas Dunas" or "Playa del Inglés".
Pitfall #2: Traveling without Bono card
Problem: €1.40 instead of €0.42 - that's 3x more expensive!
Solution: Buy Bono card on first day. Already profitable after 3 rides.
Pitfall #3: Sunday shock
Problem: On Sundays many buses run only every 1-2 hours instead of every 20-30 minutes.
Solution: Check Sunday timetable on Saturday evening!
Pitfall #4: Confusing bus companies
Problem: Trying to use Guaguas ticket on Global bus (or vice versa).
Solution: Yellow = Las Palmas city only. Blue = whole island. Tickets not compatible!
Do you have specific questions about your routes?
This guide covers the basics, but every trip is different. I'm happy to help personally with specific routes, times or tricks for your particular situation!
Feel free to ask me: "How do I get from Hotel X to Beach Y?" or "Which bus runs back at night?" - I know all the answers!
🔗 Official Sources & Further Links
Official Websites
Disclaimer: All prices and times as of June 2025. Since I use the buses daily, I keep this information as current as possible. For the latest official timetables, visit the linked websites.