Useful Advice and Info
Getting around Tenerife island:
Buses are probably one of the best and cheapest ways of getting around Tenerife island and the TITSA bus company offer 30-50 % off advertised fares if you purchase a Bono-Bus ticket for 12 or 30 Euros. These tickets are easy to use: you just insert them into a machine at the front of the bus and tell the driver where you want to go. You will be surprised to see how far you can go with these and the journeys are often enjoyable too with great views of the countryside. You can buy a Bono pass at main bus stations (estacions de guaguas), and at many shops too.
Taxis can be very expensive if you don't know the fare or the quickest route. The best way not to get ripped off is to ask how much the fare is and agree on this before you accept the ride. Meters should be used but many drivers don't do this. They may also charge extra for excess luggage.
Taxi Numbers: Los Gigantes: 922 861627, Los Cristianos: 922 790352, El Varadero: 922 860840, Playa de Las Americas: 922 795414
Car hire can be cheap and can be as little as 18 Euros per day with unlimited mileage. A valid driving license is needed and some companies will ask to see your passport. Drivers under the age of 25 may find problems being accepted too.
Ferries are fast and cheap and run between Tenerife island and the neighbouring islands. The Benchijigua Express is run by Fred Olsen and takes about 35 minutes to take you from Los Cristianos to La Gomera. You can book ferries at travel agents and at hotel reception desks.
Notes: are 5 Euros - grey-blue, 10 Euros - red, 20 Euros - blue, 50 Euros - orange, 100 Euros - green, 200 Euros - yellow, 500 Euros - purple.
Coins: 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 and 2 Euros.
Banks: are open until 2 pm Mon-Friday, and some are open again on Saturdays closing at 1pm, but check in the area you are in to be sure. They stop currency exchange at 1.30 pm on weekdays. There are many bureaux and hotels that offer money exchanging services for when the banks are closed and, of course, when they are open too. Some banks are also open again late on Thursday evenings from 5pm - 7.30 pm.
Shopping: The hours vary but generally most are open 9.30 am - 1 pm and 4 pm - 8 pm, Monday - Friday, and 9.30 am - 1 pm Saturdays, closed all day on Sundays. In tourist areas, however, many places stay open all day and at other times due to the numbers of potential customers and their expectations.
Post: can take 10 days or more between Tenerife island and mainland Europe and the UK. Stamps are available from Post Offices, which have a characteristic yellow sign, and are open 8 am - 2 pm Mondays - Saturdays, or you can buy them at many shops which sell postcards.
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La Calima - a strange weather phenomenon
Tenerife, especially in the South, and the other Canary Islands are sometimes hit by dust clouds from the Sahara desert brought here on hot, dry winds, and this phenomena is known as La Calima, and may last for days.
A calima makes the sky and air look as if it is full of fog or mist but may have a yellowish tint to it. Unlike fog it is very dry and can be experienced whilst the sun is high in the sky, although the light is severely cut out as can be seen in the photo above, which was taken around 3pm in the afternoon.
The dust carries microbes that some people are allergic to and it may make respiratory problems worse. It also settles on cars and other surfaces and can prove a nuisance, however, the phenomenon is only temporary and normal sunshine always returns after it stops.