CANARIAS

Valverde

The 2019-2020 grantee on El Hierro strongly recommended living in Valverde, as guaguas (buses) only run every couple of hours and commuting would be a challenge! Speak with the bilingual coordinator or even with parents of your students, as some may have apartments for rent. There is also a real estate agency across from La Caixa that may be able to help. Finally, keep an eye out for any se alquila posters and don’t be shy about giving the number listed a call!

The 2020-2021 grantee also recommended Valverde as the best choice given the school’s location. However, if you’re a beach person, living in Caleta, Tamaduste, or Frontera are also options. They noted that there seem to always be teachers living there who drive to Valverde, so it’s possible that the next grantee could get a ride. They also recommended checking with co-teachers, as some might have apartments for rent.

Puerto del Rosario

Past grantees placed in Puerto del Rosario most highly recommend the neighborhoods of Barrio Fabelo and Buenavista. They noted that monthly rent in these areas may be a bit more expensive than the El Charco neighborhood, but that they are generally safer, more brightly lit at night, and more accessible. For a livelier streetlife scene, look near Calle Leon y Castillo or Calle Virgen de la Peña. 

The grantees noted that, once again, your co-teachers can be immensely helpful in the process, whether it’s through giving recommendations or vetting potential apartments with you. They also recommended checking listings on Idealista, Facebook housing groups for professors, and bulletins at school. They noted that there is a significant okupas presence on Fuerteventura. Okupa is the term used to refer to people who squat in empty buildings/apartments and take advantage of hiccups in the legal system that protect them, allowing them to stay. Some even try to rent out these apartments but they cannot legally do so, so obviously you should not rent from an okupa. The housing search on Fuerteventura can be difficult, but if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. When in doubt, or if you are offered a rent that is much lower than others you have seen, be sure to check with your co-teachers before agreeing to anything, as they will know the deal and can help you look elsewhere if necessary.

A final piece of advice was to talk to owners listing spaces on AirBnB or booking.com, as they may be willing to lease long-term.

Gran Tarajal

As Gran Tarajal is a much smaller city than Puerto del Rosario, the 2019-2020 grantee placed here emphasized the importance of relying upon co-workers during the apartment search. He specifically recommended talking to school administrators and teachers, as they may be in more direct contact with members of the community. He also noted that a fan is a worthwhile purchase, especially for the warmer months.

Because La Gomera is a very small island and heavily trafficked by tourists, finding an apartment is not as simple as logging on to Idealista or other housing websites. The previous grantee highly recommends putting the word out to co-teachers/the bilingual coordinator as soon as possible, as they have ears to the ground and will know of any openings. 

For a grantee placed in Valle Gran Rey, the past grantee highly recommended looking for housing in the “zona debajo”, as you may find cheap apartments “in” Valle Gran Rey that are actually way up the valley in Guada, El Retamal, El Guro, or Casa de la Seda. These are very tranquil places to live, but only realistic if there is an option to carpool with another teacher to school, as buses are very infrequent.

La Calera is a neighborhood that sits in between the lower and upper valley. The past grantee noted that this neighborhood would work to live in commute-wise, but there would be a fair amount of trekking back to your home after school. She also noted it wouldn’t be the most convenient for getting groceries, as the big grocery stores are down by the shore and there would be a lot of hills/stairs to climb to get back to your apartment. But if you’re an active person and up for some daily exercise, La Calera is a quiet and beautiful place to live! 

Overall, the 2019-2020 grantee recommended the lower valley as the best place to live, for general ease of daily activities. This includes the neighborhoods of Vueltas, Borbalán, La Puntilla, and La Playa. This grantee specifically recommended Vueltas, as it is a lively area with plenty of locals, great restaurants, quick beach and harbor access, and several nicely-stocked grocery stores. The 2020-2021 grantee also lived in and recommended Vueltas and reiterated that it was very affordable and in a great location in Valle Gran Rey. They noted that it’s important to scout out different options and find the best price and location for you.

Borbalán is known to be nice as well, it’s the main commercial area in that part of town, with the pharmacy, a “large” grocery store, cafés, a gym, and many shops. La Puntilla is known to be an area where many Germans live. It has good cafés, a relatively short walk to school, and nice beach access. 

Lastly, La Playa is a bustling area with the town’s best beaches, many shops, a couple of bars, a big grocery store, and a bola canaria court. On any given night the promenade is filled with locals and tourists watching the sunset, talking, and eating. It is the most touristy part of town. 

A good price for a single apartment in the lower valley is under 400 euros per month with utilities included. The past grantee noted that she paid 350 euros for a one-bedroom.

LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA

2020-2021 grantees recommended Yaencontre, Milanuncios, and Idealista as great places to start looking for housing. The housing market in Gran Canarias can be tough due in part to the fact that one of Canarias’ two universities is located in this city. Past grantees strongly recommend that, if possible, you consider a longer stay (say a couple of weeks to a month) at an Airbnb to give yourself ample time to view the apartments and weigh your options before making a decision. Always be sure to visit the apartment before committing, don’t be afraid to ask carefully about anything you want or don’t want in your contract, and if the housing search is becoming impossible or you are unsure about what is in your contract (before signing!) don’t hesitate to reach out to colleagues at school. In the same vein, don’t feel pressured to immediately agree to housing (whether with a fellow Fulbrighter or not). Think about what will make you feel the most comfortable and trust your intuition.  

When checking out possible housing situations, try to get a lease with utilities included. ¡Ojo! Be sure to check the water pressure before committing. If you’re living on the ground floor of a building, make sure there are mosquito nets. 

Previous grantees saw a wide range of rental prices. The 2020-2021 grantees paid a minimum of 350€ for a room, citing that the average falls between 350€ and 500€. Studios can range from 400€ to 700€, although one grantee advised that 400 to 450€ is a good price to aim for.

It is of course ideal to live with locals, but given how international Las Palmas is, you’ll likely end up living with people from all over! People all over Europe and the world come to live in Las Palmas, which is part of what makes it such a unique place. Regardless of who you live with, try to ensure that the common language at home is Spanish so that, even when most of your day at school is in English, you are always able to practice Spanish at home. Past grantees caution against living with the many auxiliares on Gran Canaria or with Erasmus students. 

Past grantees strongly recommend that, regardless of where your school is, you live in Las Palmas because Gran Canaria has a great public transportation system and often you can also carpool with teachers one or more days. However, past grantees also recommend living in a neighborhood close to the side of the island your school is on. For example, if you work anywhere south of the city, living in the San Telmo/Triana/Vegueta/Tomas Morales area will probably reduce your commute by 15-20 minutes, as opposed to living in the north of the city. If you work in a town in the north of the island, living near Mesa y Lopez, Santa Catalina, Guanarteme, Canteras area would also make your commute shorter. 

Neighborhoods of Las Palmas as described by past grantees:

• Arenales/Obelisco is one of the most affordable neighborhoods to live in.
• Guanarteme is a nice/slightly cheaper area near Canteras beach, great to live in if you work in the city or in the north
• Triana is also a fun place to live in the south of Las Palmas
• The center of the city also is mostly residential so has quite a few available apartments and easy access to the historic area in the south of the city or the beach area in the north
• There is more affordable housing close to the University where a lot of students live, but it’s a bit out of the way from where more of the “happening” areas of the city are

Finally, it is often colder here than you might expect on an island! While there is more information about what this means for packing on the Gran Canaria page, “winter” (we use this term loosely) and nights can be chilly, so you might want to invest in a space heater if you are particularly friolero and your apartment does not have heat.

Arrecife

Past grantees placed in Arrecife have found their housing on Idealista. They enjoyed Arrecife’s central location and status as the biggest city on the island. One grantee noted that the neighborhoods Argana Alta and Maneje are a 30-minute walk from the school, while the rest of the city is much closer. They also recommended that even if you are teaching outside of a more major city, you’ll probably want to live in the closest nearby city.

The 2020-2021 grantees found their apartment (and got a good price on it) through personal connections. They recommended asking co-teachers if they know of any apartments available for leasing. One grantee noted that, if city life isn’t for you, have no fear — long-term car rentals through AutoReisen make it possible.

As for prices, past grantees noted the following: a common studio price would be €500-600/month, while a room in a shared apartment would be about €300-350/month (+ water and electric; they don’t have gas). Not all pisos have wifi, so ask the landlord if that is important to you. Some landlords will put in the contract that you may not have overnight guests, so this is something to keep in mind as well.

Some websites that were helpful to past grantees include Estohay, Milanuncios, and Idealista. If you need somewhere cheap to stay in the interim while searching for housing, an Airbnb called “La casa” that is central and a great price has been highly recommended by past grantees.

Santa Cruz de La Palma

In 2018, the grantee placed on La Palma chose to live in San José, which is a neighborhood in Breña Baja located a bit above Santa Cruz. She found housing outside Santa Cruz to be generally cheaper and more modern, and was able to commute to school each day on the bus. In 2019, the grantee chose to live in the city of Santa Cruz itself. Both of these grantees found their apartments listed on infoislalapalma.com.

Past grantees have also noted that people from La Palma speak about different parts of the small town with names or nicknames, for example “cerca del femenino” is close to one of the secondary schools that was historically for girls, but now is opened to everyone. “El puente” refers to both the elementary school, and the street that it is on the runs all the way down to the beach, “La Calle Real” is the street that runs perpendicular to El Puente, with real name O’Daly. So, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification about where people are actually talking about if you get confused!

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

As Santa Cruz is one of the biggest cities in Canarias, most past grantees found their apartments on major websites such as idealista. Some were even able to set up appointments to visit apartments before arriving on the island. However, they also recommended looking at the Facebook page for Canary Islands Auxiliares de conversación, where exiting auxiliares from the Spanish Ministry’s program may advertise their apartments. Please note that this group is closed and is not technically meant for Fulbright grantees (though many have joined), so just fly under the radar and you should be fine!

2020-2021 grantees also recommended asking co-workers or locals for help with housing and trusting your intuition while being flexible with cultural differences. Additionally, there are various WhatsApp groups such as “Personas sin hogar.” 

Grantees from Santa Cruz also recommend not paying any more than 400-450€ per month in rent, and note that ~350€/month is a reasonable price for the center. Some even found acceptable housing for 250€ with a shared bathroom. While the city is easily walkable, they noted that living in or near the center, near the intercambiador, or near a tram stop is most convenient for catching public transportation.

Some grantees who worked in Santa Cruz recommended expanding one’s search to include La Laguna or neighborhoods outside the city center as it is easier to find more young people in these areas. Additionally, one grantee advised branching out and not ruling out housing that is with people older or younger than you or people who are not on a Fulbright grant.

San Cristóbal de la Laguna

Commonly referred to as “La Laguna”, this city offers a myriad of different housing options,  mostly with University students, so it’s a great place to live if you want a younger-people vibe. Santa Cruz and La Laguna are a few miles apart, only a 15-minute car ride or  30-minute bus ride away. The climate is significantly colder than Santa Cruz, despite only being a few miles away from one another, so this is something to take into consideration if you prefer a warmer climate. However, La Laguna is just as lively and lovely as Santa Cruz, with a bustling town center, beautiful traditional Spanish architecture, and a robust University center and community. Past grantees comment that it tends to have a later nightlife, and is more youthful than Santa Cruz. If you choose to live in La Laguna, but work outside of the city, it is recommended that you find a place close to the tram or intercambiador that you would take to work. Grantees recommend using Facebook and WhatsApp groups for students to find housing, such as these two for Erasmus or SICUE students (SICUE is a national version of study abroad for Spaniards). They recommend posting a short description of yourself in the group but also checking back every few days and messaging people who are advertising for roommates.

Puerto de la Cruz

In 2018, the grantee placed in Puerto de la Cruz found an apartment on Idealista, but recommends calling rather than emailing landlords when you find something you’re interested in. The 2019 grantee noted that Puerto de la Cruz is very well served by the buses to and from Santa Cruz and La Laguna so grantees should not rule out living in La Laguna near the exchanger, because they will likely be able to find cheaper housing with roommates there. Due to a lack of a younger population, roommates can be a bit harder to find in Puerto de la Cruz, so rent may be more expensive. However, this being said, Puerto has very lovely apartments and is a beautiful city, so if you feel drawn to live there and find a good place, do it! 

El Médano

The 2020-2021 grantee living in this neighborhood paid 600 euros per month split two ways and recommended trusting your intuition.