All you need to know about ferries in the Canary Islands: prices, where to buy tickets and check schedules, whether you can transport a car or even a rental car. Learn about the nuances, how much motion sickness to expect. You’ll discover many details that you usually only learn after taking a ferry trip.

Ferries in the Canary Islands: General Information

Useful to Know:

The Canaries are an archipelago of 7 major islands. The primary mode of transportation for people and goods between the islands is ferries. There are also local airlines, but for large cargo, cars, and more, you’ll rely on ferries. You can read about flights between the islands in this article via the link.

Key Points about Ferries in the Canary Islands:

  • Ferries operate frequently and strictly adhere to schedules.
  • There are two major ferry companies that connect all the islands of the archipelago:
    • Fred.Olsen
    • Armas
  • Each company operates both passenger ferries and large cargo ferries, where besides people, you can transport your camper, motorcycle, car, and so on.
ferries in the canary islands map
A schematic map of all the main ports and ferry routes between the islands. If you look closely, you’ll see the travel time for each route. This map clearly shows how your journey will look if you need to get from one part of the archipelago to another.

Ferries in the Canaries are a convenient and fast way to reach a neighboring island. For example, it takes about 25 minutes to sail from Lanzarote to Fuerteventura, and around 50 minutes from Tenerife to La Gomera.

Important Note:

If you need to travel from one part of the archipelago to another (see map above), for instance, from the western island of La Palma to the eastern island of Lanzarote, there’s no direct ferry. This would involve a journey of about a day with two or three transfers, but we’ll discuss this further below. Ferries are convenient specifically for trips to neighboring islands.

Schedule, Fares, Ticket Purchase

Ferry tickets can be purchased online on the ferry company’s website or at the ticket office in any port. The price is the same. Here are the websites of both ferry companies, here you can check the schedule and buy tickets.

Important:

Check both companies for ferry prices and schedules. Pricing is dynamic, so for a specific date of interest to you, the price difference between these companies can be double or none at all.
ferries in the canaries
These are medium-sized ferries in the Canary Islands. They can carry several trucks or buses and several hundred passengers. But there are also smaller or larger ferries.

Important about fares:

Ferry tickets in the Canary Islands have two prices: for residents and for tourists. It’s important not to confuse them when buying online. Residents get a 75% discount, which means their tickets are 4 times cheaper.

I can’t call ferries cheap transportation. For a general idea, to avoid surprises later on, the standard ferry fare for tourists to neighboring island with journey lasting 50 minutes will be around 40-50 euros per person one way. That’s without a car.

And if you need to travel from La Palma to Gran Canaria with one transfer, it will be around 80-100 euros. What if you’re a family of 4? What if you need a round trip? Well, you get the idea: if you’re an active tourist who wants to explore different islands, calculate your transportation budget carefully; the figures might not be so pleasant.

All about the budget for a vacation in the Canaries, and how much money to bring with you.

A couple more points about purchasing ferry tickets in the Canary Islands:

  • If you bought the ticket online, you don’t need to print it.
  • For all ferry companies, a passport or ID card is mandatory for inter-island trips. Without identity documents, you won’t be allowed on board.
  • Actually, you won’t even be able to buy a ticket without a passport or ID card; all tickets are personalized.
canaries by ferry
Here’s the upper deck of a large ferry, as shown in the photo above. Here, there’s a children’s area, a restaurant, a shop, 2 bars, and more.

Ports of the Canary Islands

From the general aspects: at the port, at the departure terminal, you should arrive at least 30 minutes before the ferry departure time. If it’s a large ferry, boarding starts in full swing 30 minutes before departure. If you plan to transport a car as well, you should already be in the queue at the port about 40-50 minutes before departure.

Useful to Know:

All ports have parking (on Tenerife and Gran Canaria, it’s paid; on other islands, it’s free) where you can leave your car if you’re traveling without one.

There are no additional inspections, neither for baggage nor vehicles, so boarding is quite fast.

Now, the most important thing to know about the ports on the islands. I’ll explain the general logic, and you should definitely pay attention to this when booking tickets, especially if your route involves transfers.

  • Each island has 2-3 ports.
  • Ferries to different islands may depart from different ports! Always check when booking, from which port your ferry departs and which port it arrives at on the new island.

Example (map below):

Many tourists arrive on Gran Canaria and depart from Lanzarote because budget airlines fly from Lanzarote. There’s a direct ferry between these islands, but there’s also one with a stopover on Fuerteventura. The ferry from Gran Canaria to Fuerteventura arrives at the Morro Jable port in the south of the island. And the ferries from Fuerteventura to Lanzarote depart from the northern port in Corralejo. And there’s over 100km between them. Yes, there’s a bus that connects these two ports, but you need to consider all this when buying a ticket.
ferry from tenerife to gran canaria
For example, part of the ferry routes in the Canaries: how to get from Gran Canaria to Lanzarote by ferry. In total, it will take you a whole day if you sail with a stopover. But there are direct flights by plane, and you’ll get there in about 50 minutes.

And this situation applies to every island. For instance, the most popular island for tourists is Tenerife. All ferries heading towards Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote usually depart from the island’s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. And ferries to La Gomera and La Palma depart from the southern port of Los Cristianos.

Helpful Tip:

With Fred.Olsen, there’s a free shuttle bus service only on Tenerife and Gran Canaria between the main ports. This is for tourists traveling through these islands with a change of port. You’ll have the option to book a spot on this bus when purchasing your ticket; the system will ask you if you need a free transfer.

So, even if you have a ticket to a neighboring island, always check the ports from which ferries depart and arrive. Despite these not being huge islands, things aren’t as close as they seem. And you might find that you need another hour and a half of travel to reach the desired port by public transport.

tenerife gran canaria ferry
And here’s a small passenger ferry with an open deck. These operate on very short routes. For example, between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, where the entire journey takes 25 minutes.

Special Features of Ferries in the Canaries

Here are a few features to keep in mind:

  • Ferries in the Canary Islands sail into the open ocean. It’s the Atlantic with strong winds and waves. The smaller the ferry, the more it will rock. Even the gigantic cargo ferries sway. If you’re prone to seasickness, don’t eat anything before the trip and take motion sickness pills or fly by plane, as planes don’t experience this rocking.
  • If you look closely at the ocean, even while sailing on a regular ferry, you might spot dolphins. And there are whales in these waters too. You can read all about the Atlantic in the Canary Islands, who you might spot, the waves, water temperature, dangers, in the article via the link.
  • If you look at the map of the archipelago, the two popular islands for tourists, La Gomera and La Palma, are next to each other. But keep in mind that there’s no direct ferry connection between them. You’ll have to sail with a stopover on Tenerife. The plus side: no change of port. The downside: it will take almost the entire day for the journey.
  • Large ferries are almost like cruise liners. There’s a children’s room, a restaurant, a bar, a shop. There’s space to walk around.
  • Remember, to transport your car to a neighboring island, you’ll need to pay 20-50 euros just for the vehicle (one way). Often, it’s more cost-effective to return your rental car at the port or even leave it in the parking lot for 2 days. Then, upon arrival at the port, you can rent a new one for 2 days. This option is often used by tourists.
  • Moreover, in the Canary Islands, you can buy a day tour to a neighboring island. You’ll be guided onto the ferry, met on the other island, and taken on a bus to the main attractions throughout the day. You don’t have to think about anything yourself. Read about this type of island-hopping in the article: tours and excursions in the Canaries.
from tenerife to la palma ferry
Fred.Olsen, the main ferry operator, has about 4 types of ferries, from very small ones to gigantic liners. This one in the photo is a fairly large ferry, accommodating around 500 passengers. If you specify that you’re traveling with a car during your search, the system will only show you cargo ferries in the Canary Islands. And if you’re without a car, you’ll see all the schedules.

A very useful article for those who are just considering a vacation in the Canaries: where to stay best on the islands. I’ll tell you how the islands differ from each other, which island suits whom the most, as well as about resorts with the best beaches. There are many interesting points to know.

In conclusion: ferries in the Canary Islands are the most popular and common mode of transportation between the islands. But don’t forget, there are also local airlines, and often you can fly to a neighboring island for the price of a ferry ticket. However, ferries have two main advantages over planes: you can transport a car with a lot of luggage, and the ports from which ferries depart are located in the center of major cities or resorts, while you still need to reach the airport.

Useful links to help you plan your dream trip to Canary Islands:

  • Car Rental: LocalRent or DiscoverCars – the most popular car rental platforms.

  • Accommodation:
    • Trip.com – the largest accommodation booking platform.

    • or TripAdvisor – to compare prices among other platforms and choose the best one.

  • Budget-friendly vacation packages to Spain and Canary Islands: CheapOair.

  • Tours and activities: GetYourGuide or Viator – hundreds of offers, whales and dolphins, entrance tickets with discounts.

  • eSIM and internet: Airalo.

  • Flights: WayAway compares prices among dozens of companies.

  • Travel Insurance: EKTA.