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Fred. Olsen Express, the maritime revolution of the Canary Islands

Since our foundation in 1974, at Fred. Olsen Express we have been pioneers in inter-island maritime transport in the Canary Islands. From the very beginning, we were born with the vision of connecting the Canary Islands in a fast, comfortable and sustainable way.

On 8 July 1974, with the inauguration of the route between San Sebastián de La Gomera and Los Cristianos in Tenerife, we materialised this ambitious initiative. Since then, we have been committed to offering a high quality service to the Canary Islands community.

Over the years, we have expanded our route network, reaching most of the Canary Islands. Currently Fred. Olsen Express has a fleet of 12 ships, 7 high-speed ships, 3 mini ferries and a vessel for freight transport, with which it operates six inter-island shipping lines and a coastal route in the south of La Gomera, which will be joined by the connection with the island of El Hierro in December 2024. It also connects the archipelago with the mainland by connecting Gran Canaria and Tenerife with Huelva.

Annually, at Fred. Olsen Express we make an average of 22,000 journeys and transport more than 3.5 million passengers, 63,000 pets, nearly one million vehicles and around 1,300,000 linear metres of freight, which is equivalent to around 100,000 goods vehicles.

We stand out for our commitment to sustainability and care for the environment, combining operational efficiency with environmentally friendly practices.

 

+ 1.000.000
of vehicles per year
+5.000
+5.000
Monthly pets
+70
Environmental actions
859
Employees
8,94
Customer ratings
3.500.000
3.500.000
Annual travellers
+1880
+1880
Miles per day
12
12
Vessels
+60
Daily trips

More than 50 years of history!

The business activity of the Olsen family in the Canary Islands dates back to 1904.

In particular,it was the Olsen family who established a small agricultural center in the south of La Gomera. From then on, the family launched a maritime route as a means of exporting to the rest of Europe the tomato and banana crops produced in the La Lomada de Tecina and Playa de Santiago.

With the passing of time, Fred. Olsen has upheld his commitment to the local people to invest profits made back into the Canary Islands, thus boosting the economy and allowing the local community to obtain direct benefits from his success. With this in mind, Fred.Olsen, S.A. has created more than 1,000 jobs in the islands and has invested vast sums of money into developing a modern, efficient network of maritime transport between the Canary Islands, as well as in other areas such as tourism and leisure.

Here are some of the most important milestones in our history:

1974

We start our journey with Ferry Gomera, connecting Tenerife and La Gomera.

ferry_gomera.png
1989

Our Fuerteventura - Lanzarote route gets consolidated.

lanzarote-fuerteventura.png
1994

We launched our regular line between Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

tenerife-gc.png
See timeline

Services

Until now, our fast ferries have always been our usual system for transporting goods. The incorporation of the RO-RO Bentayga Cargo vessel to our fleet has allowed us to expand and optimise this service to complement the one we currently have.

Fast Ferry
Fast Ferry

Our traditional system in which we combine passenger and cargo transportation. Thanks to our commitment and dedication, we are, since 1974, a reliable, efficient and profitable reference in the sector.

RO-RO
RO-RO

In 2024, we expanded our cargo transportation service to offer vessels exclusively for cargo transportation. This has meant a great novelty and extensive improvements in flexibility and service offerings to customers.

Explore our routes

Enjoy the advantages of travelling by fast ferry with your car, your family and all your luggage. 

All destinations
Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura Gran Canaria

barco
Betancuria Express
Fuerteventura Lanzarote

barco
Bocayna Express / Buganvilla
25 o 35 min
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria Tenerife

barco
Bañaderos Express / Bajamar Express
Gran Canaria Fuerteventura

barco
Betancuria Express
Gran Canaria Huelva

barco
Marie Curie
33 o 40 h
La Gomera
La Gomera Tenerife

barco
Benchijigua Express / Bencomo Express
La Gomera, internal route: Playa de Santiago Valle Gran Rey

barco
Benchi Express
La Gomera, internal route: S. S. de La Gomera Playa de Santiago

barco
Benchi Express
La Gomera, internal route: S. S. de La Gomera Valle Gran Rey

barco
Benchi Express
Lanzarote
Lanzarote Fuerteventura

barco
Bocayna Express / Buganvilla
25 o 35 min
La Palma
La Palma Tenerife

barco
Benchijigua Express / Bencomo Express
Tenerife
Tenerife Gran Canaria

barco
Bañaderos Express / Bajamar Express
Tenerife La Gomera

barco
Benchijigua Express / Bencomo Express
Tenerife La Palma

barco
Benchijigua Express / Bencomo Express
Tenerife Huelva

barco
Marie Curie
33 o 40 h
Tenerife El Hierro

barco
Bentago Express
El Hierro
El Hierro Tenerife

barco
Bentago Express
Huelva
Huelva Gran Canaria

barco
Marie Curie
33 o 40 h
Huelva Tenerife

barco
Marie Curie
33 o 40 h
All destinations

Commitment to sustainability and the environment

At Fred. Olsen Express we are working on more than 70 measures as part of our In Harmony with the Sea project, with the aim of sailing towards a bluer future. Our four pillars of environmental action are innovation, sustainability, awareness and volunteering. Below you can see our environmental actions up to 2024.

Read some testimonies and anecdotes

We share some testimonies of those who have been part of our history and remember how our evolution has been.

Laly Hernando
Laly Hernando
Coordinator of the 1st booking team.

Fred. Olsen Express has always been known as a company that gives its all to its employees. In the early days we were all like a family and I think that is something that continues to this day.

Miguel Cabeza
Miguel Cabeza
Head of Human Resources.
Sometimes we think that companies last forever but, unfortunately, if you look back 50 years, you realise that this is not the case. The ones that keep going are because they know the secret.
 
For my part, I had the opportunity to work in HR at Fred. Olsen Express and was fortunate to discover the secret right away: the people and how they related to each other and to the company. At Fred. Olsen has always had an unwavering culture.
Of course, the company evolves and we have modernised a lot to stay at the forefront, but the principles and culture have always remained the same. And when it is our turn to stop and pass the baton, we know we are in a very long relay race, convinced that the next colleague will not let go of his or her baton until the next finish line. 
José Juan Ramírez
José Juan Ramírez
President of the César Manrique Foundation
During these fifty years of service to the Canary Islands community, Fred. Olsen Express has contributed to connecting the archipelago and strengthening the links between territories and citizens.
 
I would like to celebrate the shipping company's constant efforts to modernise its fleet and its service to the public, so that the connections it offers are more comfortable and affordable every day. Undoubtedly, this is a milestone in the maritime communication of the Canary Islands.