A tour in the Canary Islands almost always passes through three pairs of hands: the operator who runs it, the platform that sells it and, sometimes, a public body that sets the ticket price. In these reviews we separate the three and tell you who's who, what each one charges and what to do if something goes wrong.
We earn a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Tiqets, our partners, and a link to Headout may earn one too; that is exactly why every review says when the official website is cheaper or more flexible. Viator and Civitatis pay us nothing, and we review them by the same standard.
How we write our reviews
- Who they are. Legal name, headquarters, fleet or facilities and how long they've been operating. If the name doing the rounds is a nickname or a blend of several companies, we say so up front.
- What they sell and at what price. Official price against the platforms' price, with what's included and the child and resident rates.
- Booking and cancellation. Real cancellation deadlines, date changes and what happens if the trip is called off because of the weather.
- What customers say. Only the themes that recur in verifiable reviews, good and bad.
- Score and verdict. Criteria from 1 to 5, and who it makes sense to book for, and who not.
Booking platforms
No platform dominates every island. GetYourGuide is the strongest on the four big islands for range and number of reviews, but in La Gomera almost everything it sells departs from Tenerife and in El Hierro it has barely two products. Civitatis sells the most on the small islands (148 activities in Tenerife, 12 in La Gomera, 5 in El Hierro), although its website is only in Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese. Tiqets mainly sells tickets, has no pages for La Palma, La Gomera or El Hierro and doesn't sell any of the Lanzarote island council's centres; Headout is marginal outside Tenerife (in Lanzarote it lists around twenty products, with almost no reviews), and Viator is the same company as Tripadvisor.
Ferries and flights between the islands
Fred. Olsen Express sails to all seven main islands; Baleària Canarias is the former Naviera Armas, which Baleària bought and now runs with the same ships, many still called Volcán de… Binter flies to all eight airports in the Canaries in under 50 minutes. Líneas Romero runs to La Graciosa and Playa Blanca–Corralejo, but has no regular ferry to Lobos: that one is run by Naviera Nortour and Ferry Isla de Lobos.
Remember that the low prices the ferry lines advertise are resident fares, with a 75% discount; visitors pay the full fare: about €40 from Los Cristianos to La Gomera, from €20.50 from Playa Blanca to Corralejo. Routes and journey times in ferries and flights between the islands.
Parks, visitor centres and official websites
This covers the places that set their own prices: parks such as Aqualand Maspalomas, Rancho Texas, Oasis Wildlife and Acua, the Lanzarote island council's centres (CACT), the Fundación César Manrique, Garajonay National Park and the Canary Islands Government's tourism website, Hello Canary Islands. Two warnings: in Lanzarote there's no longer a joint pass for the centres, and no platform sells single tickets to them; and Hello Canary Islands gives information, but doesn't take bookings or publish prices.
Tour operators
Boats, submarines, camels, jet skis, surfing, stargazing and diving, with the real company behind each. Several names doing the rounds aren't companies: Puerto de Mogán's "Yellow Submarine" is Submarine Adventure, the camels on the Maspalomas dunes are not those of Camel Safari Park La Baranda, which is in the Fataga valley, and "El Hierro Diving La Restinga" is a product title with several dive centres behind it. Each review clears this up before giving an opinion.
Media and travel guides
Other websites that write about the Canary Islands, reviewed by the same standard we apply to our own: who's behind them, how they make money and whether their prices are up to date. Guide to Canary Islands, for example, only publishes in English, shows no company name or address and combines GetYourGuide and Civitatis links with advertising.
Direct or platform: where is it cheaper?
The platforms charge the same as the ticket office, never less. What changes is flexibility: with the same €44 Siam Park ticket, Tiqets gives no refund, Civitatis lets you cancel up to 12 hours before, GetYourGuide up to 24 hours and Headout up to 48.
| Ticket (adult) | Official website | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Aqualand Maspalomas | from €32 online with a fixed date (€41 at the ticket office) | €41 |
| Palmitos Park | €35 online (€39 at the ticket office) | €39 |
| Aqualand + Palmitos (2 parks) | €62 | €72 on Headout, €80 on Tiqets |
| Poema del Mar | €29 | €29 (non-refundable on Tiqets) |
| Lanzarote island council centres | only on their website | no single tickets sold |
The official websites in the table: https://www.aqualand.es/maspalomas/ and, for Lanzarote, https://ventaonline.cactlanzarote.com/en/tickets-and-vouchers. On boats and short ferry crossings the price is usually the same. The La Graciosa ferry costs the same everywhere, and the Maspalomas camels cost one euro more on Tiqets than with the operator:
| Where | Ticket | Rating | Price | Where to book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GetYourGuide | Lanzarote: Ferry to La Graciosa with Wi-Fi (free parking) | 4.7 (1,145) | €29 | View on GetYourGuide |
| Tiqets | La Graciosa: Ferry from Lanzarote | 4.7 (7) | €29 | View on Tiqets |
| Official website | Líneas Romero, Órzola – La Graciosa return | — | €29 | Official site ↗ |
Adult prices checked on 2 October 2026. They may vary by date; each site confirms the final price.
| Where | Ticket | Rating | Price | Where to book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GetYourGuide | Maspalomas: Guided Camel Riding in the Maspalomas Sand Dunes | 4.4 (5,243) | €18 Cheapest | View on GetYourGuide |
| Tiqets | Maspalomas Dunes Camel Ride | 4.5 (70) | €19 | View on Tiqets |
| Official website | Camello Safari Dunas, direct booking | — | €18 Cheapest | Official site ↗ |
Adult prices checked on 2 October 2026. They may vary by date; each site confirms the final price.
If you're a Canary Islands resident, always buy on the official website: the big platforms don't apply the resident rate. And if you collect Viator points, go straight to its app, because a click from an affiliate website cancels the reward for that booking.
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Travelin' Lady: Eco Yacht Whale & Dolphin Safari + Swim
4.7 (19,421 reviews)
from €29.90Check availability
GetYourGuide7 hours
Tenerife: Mount Teide Tour with Cable Car Ticket & Transfer
4.3 (6,095 reviews)
from €92Check availability
GetYourGuide30 minutes
Maspalomas: Guided Camel Riding in the Maspalomas Sand Dunes
4.4 (5,243 reviews)
from €18Check availability
See all options on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 2 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is GetYourGuide legit for booking tours in the Canary Islands?
It's an intermediary: your contract is with the local operator, who is named on each listing. Standard cancellation is free up to 24 hours before, and it has 24/7 customer service; on Trustpilot it scores 3.9 out of 5.
Civitatis or GetYourGuide for the Canary Islands?
Civitatis has more Spanish-language tours and more on the small islands, especially El Hierro and La Gomera. GetYourGuide has a bigger range and more reviews in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, and names the operator on each listing.
Is it cheaper to book directly with the operator?
Sometimes. Aqualand Maspalomas and Palmitos Park are cheaper on their own websites with a fixed date, and residents only get their discount on the official website. On boats and short ferry crossings the price is usually the same.
What happens if the tour is cancelled because of bad weather?
If the operator calls it off, you can normally choose between another date or a refund; the ferry lines also refund or change your ticket. Read the policy on each listing, because in the Canaries it ranges from "non-refundable" to "up to 23:59 the day before".
Are Viator reviews from verified customers?
Not all of them: Viator mixes its own reviews with Tripadvisor's, which doesn't require you to have bought anything. Civitatis, by contrast, only accepts reviews from people who booked.
What's the best site to book tours in the Canary Islands?
It depends on the island: GetYourGuide for the four big islands and Civitatis for the small ones. For tickets to parks and official centres, always compare with the park's own website.
