Taxis don't expect tips but do appreciate them. It's polite to round up fares to the nearest euro as drivers often run out of change. Please note that the 7% IGIC charge added to most restaurant and bar bills in Gran Canaria is the equivalent of VAT and has nothing to do with a service charge.
In general, urban taxis are not very expensive. However, if you want to go from Las Palmas to Maspalomas, it can easily cost around € 70 just one way. The revolutionary transport services, as Uber or Cabify, have not reached the island of Gran Canaria yet.
Uber in Spain operates in exactly the same way that it does in every country. Therefore, if you already have the app downloaded and an active account – away you go. However, if you haven't used the platform yet you will need to download the app from your app store (find it for Android here and Apple here).
To hail a taxi all you need to do is raise your hand. There are also several taxi ranks around the city, indicated by a blue sign with a white letter 'T'. Taxis must be taken from the corresponding ranks at railway and bus stations and at the airport.
Cabify – the best Uber alternative in SpainOperating much like Uber, Cabify is one of the most commonly used alternatives to Uber in Spain. Cabify is available in Alicante, A Coruña, Barcelona, Benidorm, Madrid, Málaga, Marbella, Murcia, Santander, Seville, Valencia, and Zaragoza.
The currency in Gran Canaria is the Euro.Make sure you've got some currency on you when you arrive in Gran Canaria, ready for any cash payments, like tipping. As for plastic, using your debit or credit card on the island is super easy. You can even take a travel money card for extra security.
How to move around cheaply? The easiest way to move around the island is by car. Especially if you want to visit the interior, having a car will make your trip much easier. The good news is that, depending on the season, you can rent a car for as little as €30 per day or €150 per week.
With average asking prices of just under 4,000 euros/m2, Costa Adeje and Playa de las Américas are the most expensive areas in the Canary Islands. In the luxurious Abama Resort in Guía de Isora, however, you can expect to pay around 6,500 euro/m2.
The Maspalomas market is all about haggling. Its indoor and outdoor stalls have all kinds of things for sale - plenty of clothes and shoes. It's open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am until lunch time and...