The Thieving ATMs of Puerto del Carmen

One of the benefits of living and travelling throughout the Eurozone, is access to the same currency through ATMs and debit/credit cards as back home. The simplicity of walking up to an ATM or just using your banks debit card like you would back home is a great convenience, along with the security benefits of not having to travel with large bundles of cash for your holiday.

Beware of the Thieving ATMs of Puerto del Carmen

So imagine my surprise, when I went to withdraw cash from an ATM to be advised that my Euro transaction from my Euro bank account would cost me €1.80! And this wasn't from a standalone private machine (which does profit from this practice) but an ATM that looked like it was attached to a bank.

The main culprit appears to be Telebank ATMs. There are many along the main strip in Puerto del Carmen.

ATMs from Santander and Bankia appear to be free to use for Euro account holders. The ATMs at the Biosphere were also free to use.

Plan ahead if you wish to avoid this charge