Previously, the Canaries were considered a luxury, inaccessible to the poor: this reputation at the end of the last century they “gave” the guys in crimson jackets, beautifully vacationing here from their serious business. But the situation has changed, and now these islands occupy an honorable place in the list of destinations for a budget holiday.
There is something of the Moon with its craters, something of Mars with its red sandy landscapes, something of lost Atlantis with its smoking volcano. So dispel any doubts and start planning a trip to the beauty in the most budget-friendly and interesting way possible.
Transportation
It sounds unusual, but the cheapest transport on the island is a rental car. Personal experience suggests that the best choice for this case would be CICAR, a local company present only in the Canary Islands and mainland Spain. The conditions are much more fabulous than the island of Bali: no credit cards, international license, or bail, and the minimum age of the driver is only 21.
It is better to book a car in advance and online, there is a site in Russian. The more days of rental, the cheaper it comes out. The simplest Fiat cost us about 100 euros per week, not counting gasoline – about 1 euro per liter. Everything is included in the lease: insurance, additional extras like a child seat, second driver, etc.
Renting a car in Tenerife per day costs about the same as public transport both ways, so the choice here seems obvious. When we arrived to return the car, no one even came out to check it. We just returned the keys and got paid for the difference in gas.
Traffic on the island is easy, the roads are perfect, there are markings and signs everywhere, and there is virtually no problem with parking. Pay attention to the color of the markings: if it’s yellow – parking is prohibited, if the color is blue – parking is paid, and if the color is white – free. There are a lot of such places: here are the coordinates of a huge parking lot in Puerto de la Cruz.
If for some reason you can’t rent a car, take the bus. The best way to get a Bonobus card, a kind of Moscow “Troika” – trips are cheaper. The current schedule and prices can be found on this website, but only in the Spanish version, as the English-language version is almost empty.
Food
They say you should leave the table with a feeling of light hunger. That’s advice I could give out left and right, but not here! Let’s call off the hunger strike and immediately look for large supermarkets like SuperDino, Lidl or Mercadona.
The prices in these stores are half as much as in the kiosks by the sea or at the hotels: don’t be lazy and find them in your neighborhood. Do not tell your grandmother, but your minimum shopping basket will include fresh seafood, a bottle of wine for a couple of euros (and not one), fresh fruits and vegetables, a pack of jamon from 2 euros and a slice of cheese from 1 euro, bread, olives and a can of tuna. All this will be cheaper than going out to eat in a café or restaurant.
If the road curve does lead you to the pubs, be prepared to pay from 10-20 euros per person for lunch at a budget restaurant. A business lunch on weekdays from 12:00 to 16:00 will cost about 12 euros, and a glass of sangria will cost 3 euros while a bottle of wine for one euro is bored on the store shelf. To save a little money, choose the dish of the day, it always has the lowest price. The island also has McDonald’s and KFC with an average check of 7 euros.
Entertainment
It’s easy to start with the pay-per-view attractions because there are only two must-see places: Loro Park Zoo and Siam Park Waterpark. If you can’t wait to spend the money and visit both places, buy a twin ticket – it’s a little cheaper. You can also splurge on water activities such as kitesurfing (first lesson about 100 euros) or paragliding. For a thrill go to the area El Medano.
If you’ve been to similar places before, then feel free to forget about these two points and get in your car. There are plenty of options for where to go.