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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Güímar
Base in Güímar for 1–2 nights only if you have a car: the pyramids park and the Malpaís reserve need wheels, and buses drop you 3–4 km out.
Güímar is a working town of about 19,000 people in a dry valley on Tenerife's east coast, 30–40 minutes by road from Santa Cruz. Its draw is the Pirámides de Güímar ethnographic park, the lava field of the Malpaís de Güímar, and the fishing-and-dining strip at Puertito de Güímar. The historic centre is small and quiet; the coast is where you eat.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- Oct–May
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and crowds on the coast)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.20–2 |
| Menu del día at lunch | €10–16 |
| Beer, caña / tercio | €1.50–2.50 / €2.50–3.50 |
| Fish main at Puertito de Güímar | €12–22 |
| Pirámides de Güímar entry | Adult €18, child €6.50, student €13.50 |
| TITSA bus, town to Santa Cruz | €4–6 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TFS · Tenerife South (Reina Sofía)
- About 45–60 min by car up the TF-1; TITSA line 111 stops on the highway above town.
- TFN · Tenerife North (Los Rodeos)
- About 40–50 min by car via Santa Cruz; closer for the capital and La Laguna.
Typical fares
- TITSA Güímar → Santa Cruz
- about €4–6, 30–40 min (check)
- Taxi, town centre → Puertito de Güímar
- €8–12 (check)
- Pirámides de Güímar adult ticket
- €18 (check)
Get around
The centre is walkable, but the pyramids park is about 10 minutes uphill from Plaza de San Pedro and the Malpaís reserve is 4–5 km east. TITSA line 111 runs along the TF-1 highway above town and links Santa Cruz and the south; local lines connect the town with Puertito de Güímar. A car makes the coast, the ravine and the aloe farms practical.The centre is walkable, but the pyramids park is about 10 minutes uphill from Plaza de San Pedro and the Malpaís reserve is 2.5–3.1 mi east. TITSA line 111 runs along the TF-1 highway above town and links Santa Cruz and the south; local lines connect the town with Puertito de Güímar. A car makes the coast, the ravine and the aloe farms practical.
See and do
Known for
- Pirámides de Güímar ethnographic park
- Malpaís de Güímar nature reserve
- Puertito de Güímar seafood
- Barranco de Badajoz ravine
- Aloe vera farms
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife | TITSA line 111 from the TF-1 highway stop, or 30–40 min by car on the TF-1 | About 1 h |
| San Cristóbal de La Laguna | Car via Santa Cruz, or line 111 then the tram from Santa Cruz | About 1–1.25 h |
| La Orotava | Car only in practice: over the Teide park or via La Esperanza, no direct pass from Güímar | About 1.5–2 h |
| Puerto de la Cruz | Car via the TF-5 north motorway, or line 111 to Santa Cruz then a north-coast bus | 1.5–2 h |
| Icod de los Vinos | Car via the TF-5, or bus with a change in Santa Cruz or Puerto de la Cruz | 2 h+ |
| San Andrés, Tenerife | Car via Santa Cruz and the TF-11 to the Anaga coast | About 1.25 h |
Sleep
- Güímar town centre
- Plaza de San Pedro and the streets around it; walkable, quiet at night, few beds.
- Puertito de Güímar
- Coastal district with the restaurants and ocean views; parking is hard, so a bus or a hotel space helps.
- Rural outskirts (Barranco de Badajoz road)
- Fincas and guest houses with valley views; you need a car for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syas |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| A table for two | Una mesa para dosOO-nah MEH-sah PAH-rah dos |
| Where is the bus stop? | ¿Dónde está la parada del guagua?DON-deh es-TAH la pah-RAH-dah del GWAH-gwah |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- Buses stop on the highway, not in the centre: expect a 3–4 km walk or a second bus to reach the town.
- Parking in Puertito de Güímar is genuinely difficult in summer and at weekends.
- Many centre restaurants close on Sunday evening and often on Monday: eat at the coast instead.
- The Barranco de Badajoz path is blocked by a landslide about 100 m before the end; mine shafts are sealed and the air inside is not breathable.
- The Ventanas de Güímar canal hike crosses dark tunnels with sharp rock and exposed ledges: not for anyone with vertigo, and take a torch.
Güímar is a calm residential town and violent crime is rare; the real risks are sun and heat, the exposed Ventanas de Güímar canal path, and unmarked swimming spots on a rough Atlantic coast.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Güímar yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Pirámides de Güímar ethnographic park
- Malpaís de Güímar nature reserve
- Puertito de Güímar seafood
- Barranco de Badajoz ravine
- Aloe vera farms
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- TITSA — island bus network: www.titsa.com/
- Wikivoyage: Güímar, revision 5293999 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5293999
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Güímar
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Güímar; the US, UK and most others keep consulates in Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Las Palmas, with embassies in Madrid (check).
Canary Islands time is one hour behind mainland Spain.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/guimar). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.