Car Hire Tenerife: Puerto de la Cruz Pick-Up and Driving Guide

For the resort itself, probably not every day. Puerto de la Cruz packs its best-known sights into a small area: the Archaeological Museum and the lighthouse are in the centre, Playa de San Telmo is right in town, and Lago Martiánez, the Castillo de San Felipe and Playa Jardin are all around half a mile to a mile away. Loro Parque and the Jardín de Aclimatación de la Orotava are roughly a mile out.

A car comes into its own for the wider valley. La Orotava, about 2.5 miles away, holds the Casa de los Balcones, Casa Lercaro and the sacred art museum. Los Realejos, about 3 miles off, leads to Playa del Socorro and Playa del Terrero, both around 4 miles from the resort. The Reserva natural integral de Pinoleris and the Mirador de Mataznos, at roughly 4 and 5 miles, are the kind of outings that are far easier with your own wheels. Many visitors book a car for a few days of their fortnight rather than the whole stay.

Tenerife South is where most British travellers arrive, as it is the island's airport with direct flights from the UK. Collecting a car there means a drive of about 37 minutes to Puerto de la Cruz, 34 minutes to La Orotava or 33 minutes to Los Realejos, so you skip the transfer coach entirely.

Tenerife North is much closer, 19 minutes from Puerto de la Cruz and 18 from La Orotava, but it has no direct flights from the UK, so it suits travellers connecting through another airport. If you would rather settle in first, you can arrive on a package transfer and hire a car in the resort for just the days you plan to explore. The car rental comparison on this page covers airport and local options for Puerto de la Cruz.

Distances on this stretch of the north coast are short. Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava and Los Realejos sit within about 3 miles of one another, so most day trips involve more time parking and strolling than driving. Inland outings such as the Pinoleris nature reserve and the Mirador de Mataznos take you away from the coast into La Orotava's hinterland, so allow extra time and take it gently.

For longer runs, the ferry port at Santa Cruz de Tenerife is about 17 miles away and Los Cristianos about 25 miles. Weather matters too: July and August are almost dry, while May brings around 14 rain days and the winter months around 10, so expect damp roads on some days outside high summer.

If you are hunting for cheap car hire in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, the headline price is only part of the story. Choose a full-to-full fuel policy so you pay only for what you use, and read the excess terms carefully: excess cover bought in advance can spare you a large hold on your card at the desk.

Families should reserve child seats when booking rather than on arrival, as availability at the counter is never guaranteed. April, July and August are popular months and school holidays push up demand, so booking early for those dates is sensible. You can compare car rental for Tenerife and Puerto de la Cruz here, alongside hotel prices and tours and tickets.