Gran Canaria Bus Guide 2026: Complete Insider Guide to Public Transport
Up-to-date insider guide to buses in Gran Canaria 2026 — from someone who lives here and uses public transport every day
Why you can trust this guide:
I've been living in Gran Canaria for over 8 years and use public transport almost every day. All the information here is current (as of April 2026) and tested first-hand. This guide helps you save money and avoid the typical tourist mistakes.
🚌 The Two Bus Companies (Important to Understand!)
Guaguas Municipales
YELLOW buses
- ✅ ONLY for Las Palmas city
- ✅ Very cheap with the Bono card
- ✅ Frequent connections
- ❌ Doesn't go to the airport
- ❌ Doesn't go to the resorts
Global
BLUE/TURQUOISE buses
- ✅ Covers the whole island
- ✅ Airport ↔ Resorts
- ✅ Las Palmas ↔ South
- ✅ Night connections
- ⚠️ More expensive than urban buses
🚨 Important: Tickets are NOT valid between companies! A Guaguas ticket doesn't work on Global buses and vice versa.
💶 Current Prices and Tickets (April 2026)
Guaguas Municipales (Yellow Urban Buses)
Single Tickets
- • Single trip (cash or card): €1.40
- • ⚠️ Very expensive without the Bono card!
Bono Guagua (Recommended!)
- • Single trip: €0.42 (70% saving!)
- • Card: €8.50 (10 trips)
- • One-off deposit: €1.50
- • 💰 Pays off after 3-4 trips
🛒 Where to buy: San Telmo bus station, Parque Santa Catalina, or at "Estancos" (kiosks). Ask for "Bono Guagua Sin Contacto" (contactless).
Global (Blue Island Buses)
| From / To | Price | Travel Time | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport → Las Palmas | €2.30-€2.95 | 30 min | Every 30 min |
| Airport → Maspalomas | €4.05 | 40 min | Every hour |
| 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 notes), 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 the city and the airport
Route Details
- Travel time: 30 minutes
- Price: €2.30 (San Telmo) / €2.95 (Santa Catalina)
- Frequency: Every 30 minutes
- 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 22:00!
Line 1: Las Palmas ↔ Puerto de Mogán
The most important tourist route — connects everything
Route Details
- Travel time: 120+ minutes (full route)
- Price: Depending on destination (€2.30 - €6.80)
- Frequency: Every 20 minutes (06:00-18:00)
- Hours: 06:00 - 22:00+
Major Stops
- • San Telmo (Las Palmas)
- • Airport
- • Maspalomas
- • Vecindario
- • Arguineguín
- • Puerto Rico
- • Puerto de Mogán
🏖️ Perfect for: All the southern resorts. It actually stops everywhere — practically on every corner!
Line 5: Las Palmas ↔ Maspalomas (NIGHT)
Your lifeline after 22:00!
Route Details
- Travel time: 60 minutes
- Price: €4.05 (to Maspalomas)
- Frequency: Every hour
- Hours: 20:00 - 06:00
Route
- • Las Palmas (San Telmo)
- • Airport
- • Bahía Feliz
- • Playa del Inglés
- • Maspalomas
🌙 Lifesaver: The only continuous night connection to the southern resorts!
Line 66: Airport → Maspalomas (DIRECT)
Express to the southern beaches
Route Details
- Travel time: 40 minutes
- Price: €4.05
- Frequency: Every hour
- Hours: 07:30 - 20:30
Stops
- • Airport
- • Bahía Feliz
- • San Agustín
- • Playa del Inglés
- • Maspalomas
🎯 Ideal for: Direct transfer from airport to the southern hotels with no detours!
📱 The Best Bus Apps (That I Use Every Day)
Google Maps
My #1 tip!
- ✅ Generally more accurate than the official apps
- ✅ Shows all the lines
- ✅ Real-time data
- ✅ Works offline
Just choose "public transport"
Guaguas Municipales
For urban buses
- ✅ Real-time data
- ✅ Top up the Bono card
- ❌ Las Palmas only
Global Móvil
For island buses
- ✅ All Global routes
- ✅ Offline timetables
- ❌ No real-time data!
🤫 My real secret tip:
99% of Canarians use Google Maps. Just enter origin and destination, choose "public transport" — done! Generally more accurate than all the other apps combined.
💡 Insider Tips That Actually Save Money
💰 Save money
- • Get the Bono card! Cheaper from 3 trips onwards
- • With Global: state your exact destination (often saves money)
- • Bring small notes (max. €20)
- • TransGC card only for long stays
🕐 Save time
- • Early morning: buses run more punctually
- • 14:00-16:00: fewer buses (siesta)
- • Friday afternoon: plan for traffic
- • Sundays: significantly (!) fewer connections
🎯 Practical tricks
- • Line 5 = your night-time lifeline!
- • Take screenshots of timetables
- • USB ports on Global buses
- • Bring a jacket (strong air conditioning)
🌤️ Weather tips
- • During Calima: delays are normal
- • Strong winds: north-south routes affected
- • Rain: plan extra time
- • Summer: travel early in the morning (cooler)
🌙 Night Service and Alternatives
⚠️ Important to know
Most buses stop running after 22:30. EXCEPTION: Line 5 runs all night!
Night buses (limited)
- Line 5 Las Palmas ↔ Maspalomas (20:00-06:00)
- Guaguas Only a few urban night lines
Line 5 is your friend after 22:00!
Alternatives after 22:30
- • Taxi: Las Palmas-Maspalomas ~€50-60
- • Hotel transfer: often cheaper
- • Plan ahead: last bus is usually around 22:00
Tip: taxis cost more at night (surcharge)
⚠️ Avoiding Common Mistakes
Mistake #1: not specifying your destination precisely
Problem: "Maspalomas" has 5+ different stops! Vague destination = higher price.
Solution: say exactly "Maspalomas Faro", "Maspalomas Dunas" or "Playa del Inglés".
Mistake #2: travelling without a Bono card
Problem: €1.40 instead of €0.42 — that's 3 times more expensive!
Solution: buy the Bono card on day one. Worth it from 3 trips.
Mistake #3: the Sunday shock
Problem: on Sundays many buses run only every 1-2 hours instead of every 20-30 minutes.
Solution: check the Sunday timetable on Saturday night!
Mistake #4: confusing the bus companies
Problem: trying to use a Guaguas ticket on a Global bus (or vice versa).
Solution: yellow = Las Palmas city only. Blue = the whole island. Tickets are not interchangeable!
Prefer to explore the island by car?
Buses cover the main destinations, but for remote beaches, mountain villages and hiking trailheads, a rental car gives you far more freedom. Check out our complete car rental guide.
🔗 Official Sources and Further Links
Official websites
Disclaimer: All prices and timetables as of April 2026. Since I use the buses every day, I keep this information as up-to-date as possible. For the latest official timetables, visit the linked websites.