La Palma arrival by ship
Who does not like flying will choose the way across the water. The fast catamaran from Fred Olsen and the a bit cosy going ferry from Armas are crossing every day between Tenerife and La Palma. The trip with the catamaran takes only two and a half hours. The ferry from Armas takes three to four hours, but it is usually cheaper. For the reason that both shipping companies offer numerous of special tariffs, searching and booking via internet is recommended (see links below)!
The catamaran from Fred Olsen departs daily from the port Los Cristianos in Tenerife to the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma; sometimes with two connections per day depending on the season.
The Armas ferry connects the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma with Los Cristianos daily.
By the way: The port of Los Cristianos in Tenerife is about 15 minutes away from the airport in the south of Tenerife. Taxis and buses provide easy connections.
Especially long-term tourists who want to travel by car to the Canary Islands often use the ferry from Trasmediterranea Acciona in the Andalusian port city of Cádiz. The ship, well equipped with cabins, restaurant and swimming pool, sails via Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Tenerife to La Palma in around 57 hours. That means to book a cabin is mandatory. You can choose between an inside deck 2-bed cabin and 2-bed cabins of first class. When you book via internet (see link below), the system immediately shows, if and where are free beds. Personal search is necessary also regarding prices, because the price depends on the number of persons, size of the vehicle and possible special rates.
The ferry Fred Olsen sails from the port of Huelva via Santa Cruz de Tenerife to La Palma. The journey takes about 34 hours.
Make your reservation before at home! Not only because of the guaranteed place on the ferry. In the event that the ship can´t drive for any reason, only passengers with a reservation will be accommodated by the shipping company during the waiting period in one of the hotels - for free!
The port is located in the island's capital Santa Cruz de La Palma on the east side of the island. La Palma visitors can get very convenient to their holiday accommodation if they have booked a rental car at a company such as La Palma 24. The staff will welcome you directly at the gate when you arrive by ferry and do quickly and efficiently the paperwork. Please do not forget your driving license! They will handover the car to you - and upon departure just park the car at the ferry terminal or at the airport.
Buses also bring vacationers to their final destination. The buses, called here on La Palma “Gua Gua”, depart from the island's capital Santa Cruz de La Palma. The bus station is about 500 meters from the ferry terminal. There you can take the bus to your final destination.
Travelers who want to use the bus during their whole vacation can purchase a so-called Bono ticket. You will get detailed information about these prepaid-tickets at the central bus station in Los Llanos.
Of course, there are also taxis waiting at the port. The basic charge is 1,70 euros and 1,10 to 1,30 euros per kilometre for a one-way trip. You also can deal with the taxi driver regarding the costs for one round trip. In other words: calculating is required – a rental car can be cheaper for longer trips! You pay for example for a taxi ride from the airport to Puerto Naos in the west of the island currently between 37 and 42 euros.