Emergency Telephone Numbers
In case of an emergency, the local authorities can be contacted at the following numbers:
- Emergencies – All islands – 112
- Ambulance – Dial 112 and the operator will put you through
- Police Station – 091
- Hospital Doctor Negrín – 928 45 00 00
- Hospital Insular – 928 44 40 00
- Red Cross – 928 22 22 22
- Fire Brigade – Dial 112 and the operator will put you through
Communications in Gran Canaria
International telephone calls can be made from almost anywhere in the Canary Islands. Can’t miss the distinctive blue booths and you’ll have the choice of using coins, phone cards (tarjetas telefónicas) and sometimes credit cards. The country code for Gran Canaria is the same as Spain (34) followed by a nine-digit number usually starting with 928. Telephone calls made from bars, restaurants and hotels are usually a great deal more expensive than the street pay booths. The cheap rate for international calls is the night tariff from 22.00 to 08.00 and all day Sunday.
The Post Offices are open from 09.00 to 14.00 and close an hour earlier on Saturdays. There are no telephones in Post Offices. They do have stamps but so do tobacconists and other shops that sell postcards. Postboxes are yellow in colour but the service is quite laid-back. If you have important or urgent mail, we recommend you use one of the international courier companies instead.
Internet Cafés
There are a number of Internet cafés on the island and access costs around 2,00 Euro per hour. If you are travelling with your laptop and need access to a phone connection, be wary of using hotel-room outlets - the PABX system could destroy your processor. Jacks like those used in the US are standard and make connecting your modem simple. Also, most hotels in Gran Canaria offer a wifi connection free of charge.
