Bus or taxi: comparing the two
Airport, villages and main beaches are linked by the Intercity bus, whose fare sits well under a taxi's. Coverage has gaps and the timetable does too, so this is not a contest between the two: it is a question of which suits the trip you actually have.
How an Intercity line behaves
Intercity lines follow fixed itineraries, with signposted stops and timetables published by the operator. You get a service between the airport and the main centres, and between one village and the next. You pay as you board, no seat is held for you, and the journey follows the timetable rather than the other way round.
Where the bus is the right call
If your bed sits on a stop of the line, you are travelling by day with light luggage and your destination is one the line serves, the bus is the sensible option and the cheaper one. It also wins on long direct runs where the times happen to suit, and for getting about without a thought for parking or for the way back.
Where the taxi is the right call
Door to door, without changes, at any hour and with the luggage in the boot. A late-night arrival, an early departure, accommodation down a lane with no stop, or a group with cases: the taxi covers what the line cannot — limited frequency outside working days and early last departures.
Most people end up using both
Many come by bus as far as the accommodation and order a taxi for the night they arrive, or take the bus to a village and hire a taxi for the final stretch. Check the last departure of the day before you set off, and have an answer for getting back if things run late: settling the specific journey beats settling the whole trip.
Frequently asked questions
Does a bus serve the airport? ＋
Yes: interurban lines link the terminal with Arrecife and with the southern centres, with timetables published on the operator's website. It is the cheaper option where the times suit you; land at night and the frequency no longer works in your favour.
How do the two compare on price? ＋
The taxi is always the dearer: the bus is a shared service on a fixed fare by zone and the taxi is a private vehicle on a meter. The honest comparison is journey by journey — one person with a rucksack and a good connection takes the bus; several passengers with cases find the gap per head narrowing.
What are the buses like at night? ＋
The interurban service thins out well outside working days and high season, and the last departures go early. For night flights and dinners that run on, check the last departure before you count on the line.