Tenerife airports: transfers from Tenerife South and North

Tenerife has two airports, and the right one depends on where you are staying. If your base is Costa Adeje, Las Américas, Los Cristianos, El Médano or Los Gigantes, fly into Tenerife South (TFS): most hotels are 10 to 40 minutes away by road. If you are heading for Santa Cruz, La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz or Anaga, Tenerife North (TFN) puts you a quarter of an hour from the capital and half an hour from Puerto. The two are an hour apart by motorway and linked by a direct guagua (the Canary Islands word for bus), the 343, so picking the wrong airport costs you time but can be fixed.

This guide covers each route from the terminal to your area. For the rest of the island (the ten+ card, the tram, mountain bus lines), see the general guide to getting around Tenerife.

Tenerife South or Tenerife North: which to fly into

Tenerife South (TFS), the airport for international tourism

Tenerife South airport, in Granadilla de Abona next to the TF-1 motorway, handles the charter and low-cost flights from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, the Nordic countries, Benelux and the rest of Europe, as well as some of the connections with mainland Spain. It is the logical airport if you are staying in the south or the west. It has a single terminal; arrivals, the taxi rank and the buses are on floor 0.

Tenerife North (TFN), the airport for mainland Spain and the islands

Tenerife North–Ciudad de La Laguna airport, known as Los Rodeos, sits on the La Laguna plateau, more than 600 metres above sea level. According to AENA, airlines operating there include Binter, Canaryfly, Iberia, Air Europa, Vueling and Plus Ultra. It mainly handles flights to Madrid, Barcelona and other mainland Spanish cities, inter-island flights and a few routes to Venezuela. Ryanair announced in 2025 that it was leaving this airport, so many low-cost flights from mainland Spain now land in the south.

Los Rodeos often sits under the mar de nubes (the sea of clouds: the layer of low cloud that the trade winds push against the north): keep something warm to hand.

How to decide

Staying in Costa Adeje, Las Américas, Los Cristianos, Golf del Sur or El Médano: Tenerife South.
Staying in Los Gigantes, Puerto de Santiago or Playa San Juan: Tenerife South, about 45 minutes by car.
Staying in Santa Cruz, La Laguna, Bajamar or Anaga: Tenerife North.
Staying in Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava or the valley: Tenerife North, half an hour away; from the south it takes more than 90 minutes.
The flight to the "wrong" airport is much cheaper: work out the cost of the transfer. Bus 343 links the two airports in about 50 minutes; a taxi is expensive.

If you have not chosen your area yet, the guide to where to stay in Tenerife and the comparison of north or south Tenerife will help you decide before booking your flight.

Four ways to leave the airport

TITSA bus: the cheapest. You pay on board in cash or with the ten+ card (or the ten+ Móvil app), which makes each journey cheaper; airport lines have room for luggage.
Taxi: signposted rank on arrivals floor 0, metered, with an airport supplement. Use only the official rank and ask for a receipt if you need to make a complaint.
Private or shared transfer: booked before your trip; shared minibus transfers drop off at several hotels and take longer.
Hire car: desks in the terminal or in off-site lots reached by shuttle. Insurance, excess and pick-up are covered in the guide to car hire in Tenerife.

From Tenerife South to each area

According to AENA, the buses that stop at the Tenerife South terminal, floor 0, are the 40, 10, 343, 415 and the night bus 711. Use the TITSA journey planner or app to check the day's departures: timetables change every season.

To Costa Adeje, Las Américas and Los Cristianos

Bus: line 40 (aeroexpress) links the airport with Los Cristianos and the Costa Adeje bus station. According to TITSA, it runs roughly every 30 minutes during the day and takes about 40 minutes to Costa Adeje. Towards Costa Adeje it does not pick up passengers at intermediate stops, but it does let them off; if your hotel is in Las Américas or Fañabé, get off at the nearest stop or change at the station to a local line. Outside the hours of the 40, the 711 covers the night.
Taxi: 15 to 25 minutes depending on the hotel. Metered at the interurban fare set by the Government of the Canary Islands, plus the airport supplement.
Transfer: worth it for groups or with small children and a lot of luggage; shared transfers are the middle option.
Car: the TF-1 westbound takes you to all these areas in a good quarter of an hour. The problem is not getting there but parking: check whether the hotel has a garage and what it charges.

To El Médano

Taxi: about 10 minutes. This is the most sensible option: the town is almost next to the airport.
Bus: there is no direct line from the terminal. The 415 links the airport with San Isidro, where local buses leave for El Médano; the TITSA journey planner shows the connection for each hour.
Car: via the TF-1 and the El Médano exit, in a few minutes. If you are coming to windsurf or kitesurf, the guide to El Médano beach explains the zones and the wind.

To Golf del Sur, Las Galletas and El Fraile

Bus: the 415 (El Fraile – Las Galletas – Costa San Miguel – airport – San Isidro) stops at the terminal and covers this stretch of coast in about 45 minutes end to end.
Taxi: 10 to 20 minutes.

To Los Gigantes and Puerto de Santiago

Bus: there is no direct line. Take the 40 to Los Cristianos or the Costa Adeje bus station and change to the line to Los Gigantes (the 473 leaves from Los Cristianos). Allow an hour and a half to two hours with the change.
Taxi: about 45 minutes via the TF-1 and TF-47. This is the route where a pre-booked transfer or a hire car pays off most.
Car: easy; the road is good all the way.

To Santa Cruz and La Laguna

Bus: line 10 runs from the airport to the Santa Cruz bus station, stopping at the Caletillas and San Isidro junctions; at night, the 711 covers the same route. Other TF-1 lines, such as the 111, also link the south with the capital, but check with TITSA whether the service you plan to take enters the terminal. From the bus station, the tram climbs to La Laguna in about 40 minutes.
Taxi: about 45 minutes to Santa Cruz. It is a long, expensive metered journey; with two or more people, consider a transfer at a fixed price.
Car: TF-1 northbound, about 45 minutes without traffic; there are tailbacks at the entrance to Santa Cruz at rush hour.

To Puerto de la Cruz and La Orotava

Bus: the 343 leaves from the terminal, stops at the north airport and ends at the Puerto de la Cruz bus station; TITSA gives about 100 minutes for the full line between Costa Adeje and Puerto, around 50 of them between the airports. It has few departures a day: check the timetable before you land, because if you miss one the wait is long.
Taxi: more than an hour; it is expensive. If you arrive late and there is no bus, compare with a pre-booked transfer.
Car: TF-1, Santa Cruz and TF-5, more than an hour and a quarter.

From Tenerife North to each area

To Santa Cruz and La Laguna

Bus: line 20 (aeroexpress) links the airport with the La Laguna bus station (about 10 minutes) and the Santa Cruz one (about 20). The TITSA leaflet gives departures every 15 to 25 minutes on weekdays, from early morning until after midnight; at weekends the timetable changes. In La Laguna, the historic centre is a short walk from the station.
Taxi: 10 to 15 minutes to either centre.
Car: via the TF-5. Parking in central Santa Cruz or in the historic centre of La Laguna is difficult; if you are staying there, you will not need a car for the first few days.

To Puerto de la Cruz

Bus: line 30 (aeroexpress) runs from the airport to the Puerto de la Cruz bus station in about 30 minutes, with stops at La Paz and El Risco, among others. According to the TITSA leaflet, on weekdays it runs roughly every 30 minutes and the last service from the airport is shortly before midnight; Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays have fewer departures. The old lines 102, 107 and 108 stopped serving the airport when the aeroexpress lines were created: do not rely on old guides.
Taxi: just over half an hour via the TF-5.
Car: TF-5 westbound, about 30 minutes.

To the south from Tenerife North

The 343 goes to the south airport and the Costa Adeje bus station; by car it is just over an hour via the TF-1. By taxi it is the most expensive arrival journey on the island.

Arriving at night

Tenerife South: night line 711 (Santa Cruz – airport – Los Cristianos – Costa Adeje) runs every day and covers the small hours, with widely spaced departures; it takes an hour and a half end to end. If you land after midnight, check its timetable before boarding; if the next departure is a long way off, a taxi or a pre-booked transfer is the answer.
Tenerife North: the 20 and 30 finish around midnight; after that, a taxi is the only option without a booking.
Night fare: taxis charge a higher fare at night, on Sundays and on public holidays.
Car hire desks: many companies close or keep only a minimal service in the small hours. If you land late, give your flight number in the booking and get written confirmation that they will wait for you if you are delayed.

Bulky luggage: boards and bikes

By bus: the aeroexpress buses have room for suitcases, but a board bag or bike box depends on free space and on the driver. Do not count on it; check with TITSA before your trip.
By taxi: a bike box or a long board will not fit in a standard taxi. Ask for a seven-seater or book a transfer stating your equipment.
Specialist transfers: in the south there are companies that transfer cyclists with their bike boxes; book days in advance.
Hire car: an estate car or a van solves it; roof racks and bike carriers are not common in car hire.

Useful services at the terminal

Transport: the TITSA machines in the terminals sell the ten+ card and the tourist passes; the 7-day card is worth it if you plan several long journeys. Bus information on 922 531 300.
Car hire: check whether your company is in the terminal or in an off-site lot with a shuttle; in high season the difference can be half an hour.
Connecting between airports: if you arrive at one and leave from the other, allow at least three hours and keep the 343 timetable to hand.

Inter-island flights from Tenerife North

Almost all inter-island flights leave from Tenerife North, with Binter and Canaryfly: they connect with the other islands on short flights of under an hour. To combine islands, connect your flights at Los Rodeos and book a night in La Laguna or Santa Cruz if the times do not fit with an international flight leaving from the south. For La Gomera, the ferry from Los Cristianos is usually more practical than flying if you are staying in the south.

Frequently asked questions

Which Tenerife airport is closest to Costa Adeje?

Tenerife South, about 20 minutes by car or taxi and about 40 on bus 40. From Tenerife North, by contrast, it is more than an hour by motorway.

How do I get from Tenerife South airport to Puerto de la Cruz?

On bus 343, which stops at the north airport and ends at the Puerto de la Cruz bus station; it has few departures a day, so check the TITSA timetable. By car it takes more than an hour and a quarter via the TF-1 and TF-5.

Is there a bus from the airport at night?

At Tenerife South, night line 711 links the airport with Santa Cruz, Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje all night, with widely spaced departures. At Tenerife North, lines 20 and 30 finish around midnight.

How much is a taxi from Tenerife South airport?

It depends on the distance: taxis are metered at the interurban fare approved by the Government of the Canary Islands, plus an airport supplement and, at night or on public holidays, a higher fare. For long journeys, such as to Santa Cruz or Puerto de la Cruz, a fixed-price transfer is usually more predictable.

Which airport do flights to the other islands leave from?

Almost all from Tenerife North, with Binter and Canaryfly. If you are going to La Gomera from the south, the ferry from Los Cristianos is the usual alternative.

Tenerife airports: transfers from Tenerife South and North

Tenerife South or Tenerife North: which to fly into

Tenerife South (TFS), the airport for international tourism