By clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. This enables W? to receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.
How to save on holiday in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are a good-value destination for escaping the December chill, with highs of 21°C in Lanzarote and Tenerife.
Travelling is also straightforward now that all Covid entry requirements have been lifted.
Your euros will stretch even further if you follow our seven money-saving tips.
1. Get around by bus
The cost of car hire has soared since the pandemic, and the price of fuel has also rocketed. The cheapest economy hire car available from Tenerife’s main airport was nearly £200 a week when we checked, and the cost of filling a 40-litre tank was around €52 euros (prices correct at the time of writing).
You can swerve all of these costs by using public transport. Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura all have regular bus services (known as ‘guaguas’ - pronounced ‘wah-wah’). A taxi from Gran Canaria airport to Las Palmas costs around €30 euros, while the bus fare is just €2.30.
If you’re planning to tour an island by bus, invest in a top-up card. For example, travellers can buy a €2 card from Fuerteventura’s bus company, Tiadhe, which offers a discount of 10% on the price of each ticket.
2. Eat out for less
Like in mainland Spain, non-touristy restaurants often do a great-value menú del día: a three-course fixed-price lunch for less than $15, typically. The best include a choice of starters, mains and desserts, bread, a glass of wine or beer, and coffee. Some places also offer a fixed-price menu in the evening, and all restaurants and bars in the Canaries now offer free tap water as an alternative to bottled water.
Tipping is appreciated, but not expected, in the Canary Islands; 5 to 10% is ample for meals out and taxis, or simply round up your bill. Leaving 50 cents or a euro is fine for a couple of beers. Don’t mistake the 7% ‘IGIC’ tax on your bill for a service charge - it’s the Canary Islands’ alternative to VAT.
3. Take a hike
Packing your walking shoes could save you a bundle. The Canary Islands are famous for their beach resorts, but their best-kept secret is the stupendous scenery - and the views won’t cost you a penny. For example, lesser-known La Palma has 600 miles of waymarked footpaths that crisscross a striking array of landscapes ranging from lunar lava fields to pine-blanketed volcanoes.
Using your feet will also save you money at Tenerife’s biggest landmark, 3,718m Mount Teide. This dormant volcano is Spain’s highest mountain and less than an hour’s drive from its popular resorts. It costs €21 to reach the lunar-esque summit by cable car (€38 return), but you can walk up for free. Apply for a free permit to be allowed up to the very top, where fumaroles puff out clouds of scorching vapour. You can also save money by taking the public Titsa bus to Teide National Park instead of a pricey private shuttle.
Listen to our Which? Shorts podcast on the secrets of the Canary Islands
4. Find discounts on attractions
If you’re planning to visit any attractions, check if there are online, multi-ticket or family discounts. For example, you can buy multi-tickets in Lanzarote that allow you to visit its main attractions (known as the Centres of Art, Culture and Tourism) for a reduced price. These include Cueva de los Verdes (an otherworldly lava tunnel), and Jameos del Agua (a concert hall and restaurant inside a volcanic chamber).
In Tenerife’s capital, Santa Cruz, the hunkering concrete gallery - Tenerife Espacio de la Artes - is free, and you don’t need an opera ticket to enjoy a coffee at its spectacular avant garde concert hall on the seafront, the Auditorio de Tenerife. On Gran Canaria, meanwhile, some museums are free on Sundays, including its archeological park, Cueva Pintada.
5. Shop for bargains
The Canary Islands’ version of VAT is 7% - compared to 21% in mainland Spain - so booze, perfume and beauty products are usually cheaper in the shops than at the airport. Note down prices in duty free before you fly out and compare them when you land. Clothes and high-end electronics can also be cheaper, but it’s worth checking out how the prices compare to those back home. Since Brexit, you can bring back goods worth up to £390 without declaring them, as well as four litres of spirits and 18 litres of wine - if you can fit it all in your suitcase.
6. Visit in low season
When we compared flights and a seven-night stay on popular Spanish islands in August, the Canaries proved cheaper than the Balearics. They’re even better value in low season. When we spot-checked package holidays for Gran Canaria in October, prices were around 40% cheaper than August. That means you could save between £300 and £400 per person (staying in a three-star hotel on a half-board basis). Expect sunny and dry weather in October, with highs of 26°C in Gran Canaria. The sea is also at its warmest this time of year.
These are the best Canary Island holiday resorts - according to you.
Check with booking.com to easily compare and find accommodation deals in The Canary Islands.
Booking.com is the top-rated hotel-booking site in our survey and received five stars for its flexibility. Most bookings can be cancelled at short notice without penalty. The only way to be sure you've found the best rate is to call or email the hotel directly.
7. Don’t forget your Ehic or Ghic
British travellers are eligible for free medical cards that entitle you to treatment in state hospitals in the EU, including in the Canary Islands. Since Brexit, British travellers are only eligible for a Ghic (Global Health Insurance Card), which covers you for ‘necessary healthcare’, such as treatment that can’t wait until you return to the UK. If you still have an Ehic (European Health Insurance Card), it’s valid until its expiry date.
It’s essential that you get travel insurance as well. An Ehic or Ghic won’t cover you for repatriation, private medical treatment, your luggage going missing or being stolen, or having to cancel or cut short your holiday.
Find out how the European and Global health insurance cards work, with our guide to Ehic and Ghic explained.
