# how's the internet on the canary islands?



## Machiavelli

very seriously looking at moving to the canary islands this spring. but i need very reliable high speed internet. how good is the service? and how long would it take to get set up? 

also, which is the best island for hiking, beaches and cheap good restaurants? a good jazz club wouldn't hurt either. 

lastly, where is a good place to look for long term rentals (furnished preferably)?

thanks


----------



## JulieCJ

I'm in Lanzarote and the internet here is good, we have a 5 meg connection which runs our computers and can stream TV. Which island are you thinking of moving to? You need to check with the local provider if its available in that area, there can be a long wait with new properties or remote areas and some are still on radio phone or dongles.

All of the islands have good hiking and great beaches, its cheaper to eat out of the resort areas and the sociedads are great for low cost meals. 

Typically the furniture comes with the properties when you buy or rent in the Canary Islands but there are some opportunities to find unfurnished ones - I would think carefully about what furniture you bring over though as it might not suit the property and it can be expensive to ship, its based on per m3. I've known lots of people bring their entire house contents only to sell it off at car boot sales.

Let me know if you're looking at Lanzarote and I'll give you some local companies to contact.


----------



## Machiavelli

Thanks so much for replying. We are seriously looking at the environs of Los Llanos de Aridane on La Palma and maybe somewhere on Tenerife. Los Llanos is the biggest city on La Palma with 20,000 people so I'm hoping that gettng internet set up will be straightforward. However, since it seems like a renters market we were thinking we would just look for a place that already has internet. Does that seem wise? 

Of all the islands, La Palma seems like the most serene. Is that fair? Lanzarote and Fuerteventura seem too barren for our taste. However, the steepness of La Palma has me wondering whether a flatter island might be better.


----------



## JulieCJ

I haven't been over to La Palma as yet but it certainly is green with forest which Lanzarote is not, this island does go green in the winter months but with spring flowers rather than trees. 

Will you be looking for work or do you have an existing business you can run through the internet? I've noticed some of the property owners now including telephone and internet with their properties you just have to pay the bills for the calls you make. If the property doesn't have internet you can call a local provider such as Telefonica and check if its available in the area, you may have to wait for a local engineer to go out first before they can confirm.


----------



## Brian S

Almost all of La Palma has 5/6Mb ADSL via the fixed telephone line, and 1/6Mb via the mobile connections.
Availability in a particular house is dependent on the exact location. There can be shadow areas if you happen to be behind a small hill and Telefonica is not always willing to put new lines in these days.
If you have never been to La Palma I would strongly advise you to rent a holiday home for 1 month and check out the very different areas of the island before renting something for 6 months or more. 
In any case you are unlikely to get a long term rental without the owners actually meeting you. There have been far to many dreamers who say they will rent a place and never turn up leaving the owner with an empty apartment. Seeing is believing here.

Los Llanos is the busiest place on the island, which may be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your expected life style.

Not sure why the steepness of the island would be a problem, it is because of the steepness that La Palma has such fantastic views.

Brian
islalapalma dot com


----------



## Machiavelli

Thanks so much for the help. The steepness is a small issue because we like to hike, but prefer hills to mountains! Los Llanos seems quite beautiful in the pics. We want something idyllic where we can walk to a nice (cheapish but good) meal and go for a really pleasant stroll after. Also, some place where we are a quick scooter ride from a nice beach. 

So the criteria are:

0) Internet
1) Idyllic
2) Proximity to Nice Cheapish but Good Restaurants
3) Strollability
4) Proximity to Nice Beach
5) Proximity to Nice Hikes
6) Proximity to Symphony/Opera

Of course, doesn't seem like we can get the symphony on La Palma, but Tenerife just seems too big and downright urban. Is there any place on Tenerife that compares to the west side of La Palma? Also, can a scooter make it over the mountain on La Palma or is the road too steep?


----------



## Guest

*Internet in the Canary Islands*



Machiavelli said:


> very seriously looking at moving to the canary islands this spring. but i need very reliable high speed internet. how good is the service? and how long would it take to get set up?
> 
> also, which is the best island for hiking, beaches and cheap good restaurants? a good jazz club wouldn't hurt either.
> 
> lastly, where is a good place to look for long term rentals (furnished preferably)?
> 
> thanks


Hi

Well, each to their own I guess, but I have no hesitation in recommending Gran Canaria! I spent time on each of the seven islands and the one that ticked all the boxes for me ie. good communication, facilities, healthcare shopping, entertainment PLUS mountains, beaches, pretty villages, great walks etc was Gran Canaria. Several years one and I have not regretted my choice for one moment.

Now to internet. Until recently it was a nightmare with the dreaded Telefonica offering its over priced nightmare monopoly here. However, all is now resolved. The new Vodafone service is terrific - 12mb in Las Palmas but I get 10 mb where I live. Half the price and far more reliable. For me, life here is almost perfect!

If you want entertainment head and until you have managed to discover the island for Playa del Ingles or Puerto Rico (ugh!) . Lots of cheap short and long term rentals available. Personally, I would not want to live there, but there are plenty towns and villages in the south or middle of the island to tempt you. Lets face it, nothing is too far away over here!

Good luck!


----------



## jojo

Its nice to see some "canary Islanders" on here. By all accounts, altho the islands havent escaped the recession, they have a lovely climate and are a very friendly place to be!! There, thats the sum of my knowledge lol!!!

Welcome to the forum

Jo xxx


----------



## Guest

Thank you! Good to be here! Yes, they are lovely islands and we love to share it with visitors! COme and see us one day!


----------



## Guest

Hi Machiavelli

High speed internet has been lacking in the Canary Islands until just recently, but may not be available in all regions of the islands. If you decide to live in the mountain areas you may find you cannot get internet at all. So which island you select and where on the island is critical.

The larger islands may offer the fastest speeds and greater access to broadband internet. Until recently Telefonica were the only company offering ADSL in the Canary Islands and quite expensive compared to the UK. Now Vodafone have started to offer speeds of up to 12 mega in Gran Canaria. You need to check out their website to know their coverage and speeds. Vodafone: telefonia movil, telefono fijo y acceso a internet It is in Spanish, but with an English language option. This is good value as you do not pay a line rental for the phone and local calls are included in the monthly payment. 12 mega is now only available in the port area of Las Palmas, but around 10 mega is possible in other areas. My experience with Telefonica was speeds of 3 megas turned out to be one and a half and upgrading to 6 megas only really meant speeds of about three and a half. It depends how far away you are from the exchange and ADSL node point.

So check these details out carefully with the real estate company that you contact about renting a property. They should be able to give you this info or find out from Vodafone for you.

You also like jazz so a larger island may be more interesting for you. Las Palmas does have a jazz club - Charleston Club - and also an auditorium with a symphony orchestra, opera, ballet and outdoor music and dance events.

There is a local website - www.thecanaryislander.com - that gives lot of information about all the islands and what is special about each and may be worth checking out.

Hiking is popular on all the islands, but mountain walking needs some preparation and thought beforehand as clouds may descend at any time and you need a good map and compass to find your way. The town hall of Maspalomas in Gran Canaria has produced a free walkers guide with details of walks - in English and there are two walking groups on the island that offer safer mountain walking for people new to the island. And yes I mean walking not climbing, although there are local climbing enthusiasts here too.

All the best with your decision, but if high speed internet is critical to your business, then check out the availability before you commit yourself to a specific island or location. Mountain locations look great but offer limited facilities for business people, however they are only a short distance from the main coastal areas linked by the motorway, so a trip into the mountains to visit traditional Canarian villages and to learn about the culture of the island is easy.





Machiavelli said:


> very seriously looking at moving to the canary islands this spring. but i need very reliable high speed internet. how good is the service? and how long would it take to get set up?
> 
> also, which is the best island for hiking, beaches and cheap good restaurants? a good jazz club wouldn't hurt either.
> 
> lastly, where is a good place to look for long term rentals (furnished preferably)?
> 
> thanks


----------



## littleredrooster

Machiavelli said:


> Thanks so much for replying. We are seriously looking at the environs of Los Llanos de Aridane on La Palma and maybe somewhere on Tenerife. Los Llanos is the biggest city on La Palma with 20,000 people so I'm hoping that gettng internet set up will be straightforward. However, since it seems like a renters market we were thinking we would just look for a place that already has internet. Does that seem wise?
> 
> Of all the islands, La Palma seems like the most serene. Is that fair? Lanzarote and Fuerteventura seem too barren for our taste. However, the steepness of La Palma has me wondering whether a flatter island might be better.


Having lived and spent quite a bit time on all 7 main isles for quite a few years,my choice would always be from the 4 Western isles
Fuerteventura is little more than a desert.
Lanzarote is OK for a holiday but has its limitations.
Gran Canaria has quite a bit to offer but nothing like as much as Tenerife and I'm not refering to touristy zones.
The other 3 Westerly isles all have their own particular charm,beauty and character,but no opera I'm afraid.
El Hierro and Gomera are lovely places and good for walking though not too flat.
La Palma gives you a bit more scope,beautiful but a bit hilly.
Tenerife has so much to offer that few visitors ever get to see.
Apart from the lovely Western coast and the Teide national park there are the spectacular Mercedes mountains and rain forest in the extreme North.
There are many lovely and unusual walks way of the beaten track.
It has its own micro climate as indeed do the other small Westerly isles,so on any given day you can usually find weather to suit, within a reasonable drive.
Whilst there are some trashy areas in the tourist zone there are some really high class developments also,however my choice would be in one of the smaller typical Spanish villages.
Tenerife has the added advantage of easy regular daily short car ferry connections to Gran Canaria from the North and El Hierro,La Gomera and La Palma from the South.


----------



## Johnfromoz

Can anyone recommend decent prepaid internet that can be used with a laptop. I mean the one where you just put a sim-card into the laptop modem. A friend of mine had Orange but he found it to be too slow. Would Vodafone be a better option? And is there good coverage in the area of Agaete where we will be moving to?


----------



## gabriele

*High speed Internet Tenerife*



Machiavelli said:


> very seriously looking at moving to the canary islands this spring. but i need very reliable high speed internet. how good is the service? and how long would it take to get set up?
> 
> also, which is the best island for hiking, beaches and cheap good restaurants? a good jazz club wouldn't hurt either.
> 
> lastly, where is a good place to look for long term rentals (furnished preferably)?
> 
> thanks


Sorry to say is that the highest velocity Internet Speed Tenerife now in December 2010 is still 6 megabite Banda Ancha only. It is provided by Telefonica which is now called Movie Star. 
You are wellcome to call their free information number 1004. 
Every other provider on this biggest of all Canary Islands depends on Movie Star as it has the monopoly for Spain.

Broadband Internet service Tenerife isn't bad at all. However, there may be power cuts caused by failing electricity supply during winter storms, occasionally between November and March. 
Electricity interruptions can take up to 3 to 5 hours in some regions on the island. Unelco is working on it to better the situation. However, electricity failure on Canary Islands is much much less seldom than in India, for example.


----------



## gabriele

Sorry, I made a mistake. I wanted to say that Tenerife electricity power cuts are seldom compared to cuts in India.


----------



## 90199

Los Llanos de Aridane on the island of La Palma ( La Isla Bonita), I have been there a couple of times, I like it, though the fields and fields of Bananas get a bit boring.

The beaches are not so good on the western Isles, but the walks, caminos reals, are fantastic. Scuba Diving on the small island where I live is world famous,

Most people who settle here are happy, especially if you have mastered the language,. The climate is a bonus, warm all year round.

I would choose also Gran Canaria, I have had a love of Las Palmas since 1962, when I first arrived from Trinidad, on a Shell Oil Tanker called Achatina.

Even here we have good internet connections albeit with telefonica, whom I cannot fault, and much to the surprise of those on the other islands, we also have electricity and flush toilets 

Hepa


----------



## gabriele

*Living in La Palma Isla Bonita*



Hepa said:


> Los Llanos de Aridane on the island of La Palma ( La Isla Bonita), I have been there a couple of times, I like it, though the fields and fields of Bananas get a bit boring.
> 
> The beaches are not so good on the western Isles, but the walks, caminos reals, are fantastic. Scuba Diving on the small island where I live is world famous,
> 
> Most people who settle here are happy, especially if you have mastered the language,. The climate is a bonus, warm all year round.
> 
> I would choose also Gran Canaria, I have had a love of Las Palmas since 1962, when I first arrived from Trinidad, on a Shell Oil Tanker called Achatina.
> 
> Even here we have good internet connections albeit with telefonica, whom I cannot fault, and much to the surprise of those on the other islands, we also have electricity and flush toilets
> 
> Hepa


One of my best friends has lived on La Palma for 20 years. In La Palma one is bound to learn Spanish. That's what she says. She also affirms that it's a great place to have a family in our hectic times. There drugs are less likely to be waiting for your kids around some corner.


----------

