From Tenerife to La Gomera

Does Tenerife also have a direct ferry to La Gomera? Yes, there are two ferry companies that guarantee regular and direct connections between the two islands. When it comes to flight times, make sure you don't arrive too late, otherwise you might miss the last ferry to La Gomera and then you would have to spend a night in Tenerife. As a rule, the last ferry to La Gomera (San Sebastian) departs around 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm, so that the plane should land no later than 5:00 pm!

Since the end of 2017, the FRED OLSEN ferry company directly runs from San Sebastian via Playa de Santiago to the popular holiday resort of Valle Gran Rey, which is located in the sunny west of the island of La Gomera. However, this is a passenger ferry, cars unfortunately cannot be transported. The car ferry of the ARMAS company, which also drove directly to Valle Gran Rey, was discontinued in June 2019. To the best of our knowledge, it is driving again, but very irregularly.

If you are affected by seasickness or a sensitive stomach, you should, for example, use the services of “Autobuses Mesa”, which organises a direct transfer service from Tenerife South Airport to your holiday resort on La Gomera. The journey from Tenerife airport to La Gomera usually takes place in air-conditioned and modern coaches and the price is often cheaper than booking every service individually.

As a rule, there are always enough taxis available at the ferry port of San Sebastian (La Gomera) and some car rental operators have also stationed their offices there. The public bus from La Gomera also stops directly on the harbour area. As a rule, the buses are roughly based on the ferry times, so that a good connection is usually guaranteed. Those who travel to the particularly well-developed holiday regions of Playa Santiago, San Sebastian or Valle Gran Rey have a particularly easy going. You can download the current bus timetable of La Gomera here free of charge as a PDF file: Bus timetable La Gomera

La Gomera Airport

La Gomera has its own airport, but it cannot be served directly from mainland Europe. The Canarian airline “Binter Canarias “ offers regular flights from Tenerife North to La Gomera. However, this is often more expensive and time-consuming and the connection to other holiday resorts on La Gomera is a bit more complex from the airport in Playa Santiago. However, once the plane has landed  two regular buses regularly run on time and except on public holidays,  in direction San Sebastian and another to Valle Gran Rey. From the capital you have access to all other places on the island of La Gomera.

Our Tip

Sometimes for organizational reasons you are forced to spend the first or last night in Tenerife, because the ferry times are unfavourable or the flights are significantly cheaper. In this case we recommend the small and cheap accommodation of Ernstl and Elke. The lovingly managed guesthouse is situated in a rural and quiet area in the southeast of Tenerife, 15 minutes by car from the southern airport (Abades district). On request they also offer an airport transfer, so you don't have to worry about anything. A delicious breakfast can also be booked.

No responsibility is taken for the correctness of all details and information regarding the individual arrival options, times and prices. The times of ferries and buses in particular can change at short notice at any time! Please bear this in mind when planning your holiday and inform yourself in advance on the websites of the individual ferry and bus companies.

Autobuses Mesa La Gomera

The comfortable transfer with “Autobuses Mesa” is a popular alternative to start your holiday in a relaxed manner. You can easily and quickly book the transfer from Tenerife airport to La Gomera on the internet. We would also be happy to book the cheap transfer from Tenerife Airport to La Gomera for you - including ferry tickets. 

Autobuses Mesa has a small ticket counter at the end of Tenerife South Airport, which you can simply go to after your arrival and show your printed reservation. The amount will be paid in cash to the driver if you haven`t paid with your credit card on the Internet previously.

From Tenerife South Airport you will be driven directly to the port of Los Cristianos (Tenerife), the journey takes about half an hour. In some cases there may be waiting times, as the ferries to La Gomera usually only run 3 times a day. Arriving in Los Cristianos, take the Fred. Olsen fast ferry to San Sebastian, the capital of La Gomera. The waiting time varies depending on the landing time. Until then, you can store your suitcases in Fred. Olsen's designated storage vagons in the port of Los Cristianos. Please provide 1€ per suitcase compartment in small money. The trunk scar is driven by the ferry staff and parked on arrival at La Gomera at the local port. The crossing takes about 45 - 60 minutes. Once you arrive at La Gomera, a local driver from “Autobuses Mesa” will be waiting for you at the exit of the ferry. This can be seen by the clothing that refers to the company “Autobuses Mesa” or a sign with the company name in their hand. After you have taken your suitcases out of the ferry vagon, you can place them directly in the bus assigned to you.

The company mainly cooperates with the ferry company Fred Olsen. As a rule, ferries depart 3 times a day to La Gomera, with slightly more limited ferry times on weekends or (local) holidays.

Fred Olsen Ferry La Gomera

The Fred Olsen ferry "Benchijigua Express" departs from the port of Tenerife (Los Cristianos) to La Gomera (San Sebastian) within 45-60 minutes. It is a large fast ferry that can also transport cars. As a rule, the ferries only run 3 times a day and it makes sense to adjust the flight time according to the ferry times, otherwise you have to spend one night in Tenerife. On (local) holidays, the ferry often only departs twice a day.

From San Sebastian, Valle Gran Rey and other resorts are easily accessible by bus, taxi, or the “Autobuses Mesa” buses. For example, the journey to Valle Gran Rey takes about one and a half hours.

Since 2017 there is a regular and direct connection from San Sebastian to Playa Santiago and then Valle Gran Rey with the small fast ferry "Benchi Express". Since it is a relatively small ferry, the approach can get a little more shaky, especially if the sea is stronger. This small ferry, designed for a maximum of 250 people, doesn`t carry cars. But bicycles and motorcycles can be transported without any problems.

Fred Olsen owns a ticket counter at the port of San Sebastian and in Valle Gran Rey. However, we recommend that you get your ticket in advance, as there can often be waiting times or long queues at the counter.

If required, we can also book ferry tickets for you with the shipping company Fred Olsen.

Armas Ferry La Gomera

The ferry company "Naviera Armas" also offers regular services from Tenerife (Los Cristianos) to La Gomera (San Sebastian). Their timetable is similar to those of Fred Olsen. Often the ARMAS ferry is a little cheaper than Fred. Olsen, but it also takes 30 minutes longer to cross. There also is a ticket office in San Sebastian de La Gomera and in the port of Valle Gran Rey.

Since the end of 2017, the ARMAS company also offers a direct connection from Tenerife to Valle Gran Rey. The large car ferry also runs the Los Cristianos - San Sebastian - Valle Gran Rey route 3 times a day. The boat, which is almost 100 metres long, can accommodate a maximum of 870 passengers and can carry up to 220 cars.

Armas has a ticket counter at the port of San Sebastian de La Gomera and Valle Gran Rey. However, we recommend that you get your ticket in advance, as there can often be waiting times or long queues at the counter. However, it is also possible that ARMAS makes a stopover in Playa Santiago, please check the ARMAS website for more information.

In June 2019, the direct ferry service from Los Cristianos to Valle Gran Rey was stopped.

The connection was recently resumed, but the ARMAS only runs very irregularly from Los Cristianos to Valle Gran Rey. The regular traffic from Tenerife to San Sebastian de La Gomera is not affected. Therefore we recommend to continue your journey from San Sebastian de La Gomera, as you are on the safe side and can take a bus or a taxi if necessary.

Binter Canarias

Binter Canarias is a regional airline based on the Canary Islands (Gran Canaria) since 1989. With small, often very modern machines, holidaymakers can fly easily from island to island. At the beginning Binter Canarias flew only to the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura and La Palma, later Lanzarote and El Hierro were added.

La Gomera was included as a travel destination in 1999 after the airport was completed. Funchal in Madeira, El Aayún in Western Sahara, Lisbon, Milan and Paris are also on the Canarian airline's schedule.

The Binter company also cooperates with the provider TUIfly, whose guests are booked on connecting flights of Binter Canarias in order to reach the smaller islands without own airport.

For example, the village of Valle Gran Rey has a perfect connection to La Gomera Airport (IATA code: GMZ), as a scheduled bus departs there 2 hours before departure. The small airport is located in the municipality of Alajeró and is about 35 kms from the capital San Sebastian.

You can fly from Tenerife South or Tenerife North to La Gomera. However, we don´t recommend this travel possibility, as it often takes longer than by bus, taxi or shuttle transfer.

Taxi La Gomera

Of course each municipality on La Gomera has its own taxi service.

In the ports of San Sebastian and Valle Gran Rey there are usually enough taxis available when a ferry arrives from Los Cristianos (Tenerife).

In order to get a rough orientation, it is always useful to ask in advance for the approximate price to the desired destination.

You should always make sure that the taximeter is switched on while driving. Of course there is a surcharge to the normal fare on weekends and public holidays, as well as in the late evening.

If posible the formation of a taxi carpools is often worth it. For example, a trip from San Sebastian de La Gomera to the resort of Valle Gran Rey costs around 60.00-70.00€ during the day, so sharing with other travellers can be profitable.

But beware, La Gomera is a little different than Britain and the rest of Europe. For example, you may not find a car at the taxi rank or the driver may not adhere to the agreed time or meeting point. However, these are only exceptions, in general everything works quite well and the drivers are very helpful people.

Please note that many taxi drivers only speak Spanish or just a little English.

If you want to explore the island by taxi, the drivers will also take you on a tour around  La Gomera. Some drivers have worked out special routes and offer quite attractive prices for an island tour by taxi.

Bus La Gomera

The public buses on La Gomera are called "GuaGua". GuaGua Gomera to be exact.

The route network on La Gomera is now quite well developed, with a total of eight different bus lines running on the island. Almost all tourist-accessible places are regularly approached. Since June 2018 new, very modern and air-conditioned coaches are running.

The prices are still relatively cheap and vary between 2€ - 6€ per person and route. The bus ticket is paid in cash directly to the driver (attention, the drivers do not change large bills).

Times can also change at short notice due to the many national and local holidays. Please inform yourself shortly before arrival. As a rule, the buses are based on the ferry times, so that a good connection is guaranteed.

Especially during the busy times and during the high season, we recommend that you get in directly at the first stop to get a seat. It may well happen that the buses do not stop at all when they are already full. Usually a second bus is used, but you can't always rely on it. This notice applies mainly to the resort of Valle Gran Rey.

During the journey, the drivers often switch on the air conditioning, which is why it can get a little cooler during the bus journey, especially on the longer distances. Therefore, it is recommended to always take a jacket or a (hood) sweater on the bus, even in midsummer.

You can download the current bus timetable with the individual stops and departure times here free of charge as a PDF file: Bus timetable La Gomera