Car Hire Gran Canaria: Airport Pick-Up and Driving Tips

If your plan is a week by the pool in Puerto Rico or Maspalomas, a package with transfers covers the essentials and you may only want a car for a day or two. The case for car rental on Gran Canaria grows the moment you want to see the interior. Many of the island's best-known sights sit away from the resorts: the Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo and Bandama Caldera near Santa Brígida, the Barranco de Guayadeque above Agüimes, the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pino in Teror, and the Painted Cave and Punta Sardina Lighthouse out at Gáldar in the north-west.

Nature lovers will want wheels even more. Tamadaba Natural Park near San Nicolás, Pilancones Natural Park and the Riscos de Tirajana in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, and Inagua and Montaña de Tauro in Mogán are protected landscapes that reward an early start and the freedom to stop where you like. Combining several of these in one day is realistic with a car and awkward without one.

For most British travellers, car hire at Gran Canaria airport is the obvious choice. LPA receives direct flights from the UK, and the nearest towns are close: Agüimes is about 6 minutes away, Telde about 7, and Santa Lucía and Santa Brígida about 14. Collecting on arrival means you skip the transfer and can drive straight to your resort, or head inland first if you land early.

If you only want a car for part of your stay, consider booking a resort pick-up in Maspalomas or Playa del Inglés for the days you plan to explore, or collecting in Las Palmas if you are staying in the capital. The comparison on this page lets you check airport and town options side by side, so you can see which suits your dates before you commit.

The island splits neatly into a coastal ring and a mountainous interior. Resorts such as Maspalomas, Telde and Gáldar are on the coast, while Teror, Santa Brígida, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Mogán and San Nicolás sit inland, and the routes up to them climb through ravines and protected parkland. Expect bends and gradients on the way to Tamadaba, the Riscos de Tirajana or Montaña de Tauro, and allow more time than the map suggests.

Weather is rarely the obstacle. At Maspalomas, daytime highs run from 23°C in winter to 33°C in August, and July and August record no rain days at all. The wettest spells are March and November, with around four or five rain days, so a shower is possible on a winter drive but seldom lasts. In high summer, carry water, park in shade where you can, and plan inland walks for the cooler morning hours.

Read the fuel policy first. A full-to-full arrangement, where you collect the car with a full tank and return it full, is usually the simplest to manage; fill up near the airport before you drop off. Check the excess on the basic insurance and decide whether you want cover that reduces it, especially if you plan to drive the narrower inland roads.

Families should add child seats at the time of booking rather than on arrival, and anyone travelling in school holidays should book early, as demand rises when UK families fly out. If you are hunting for cheap car hire on Gran Canaria, compare total cost rather than the headline daily rate: fuel terms, excess and extras all count. The live comparison here shows current prices from several suppliers so you can judge for yourself.