VRENTY CAR is an independent comparison service. The search above is provided by our partner Localrent and lists local agencies side by side; you book directly with the provider. Always confirm the price, insurance and deposit before you pay.
📍 Gran Canaria: a round island in the Canary Islands, with the airport in the east and the main resorts in the south around Maspalomas.
Is a Car Worth It in Gran Canaria?
Buses link Las Palmas, the airport and the southern resorts, but the interior is much harder to reach: the ridge villages of Tejeda and Artenara, the rock monolith of Roque Nublo and the old town of Teror. A car gives you the freedom to see them in a day.
Our advice: collect the car for the days you leave the coast, and book a small model; mountain roads are narrow and hairpins are tight.
Drive Times Across Gran Canaria
Times are approximate and depend on traffic; use live navigation for the real figure.
| Route | Approx. distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Airport (LPA) to Las Palmas | ~20–25 km | about 20–30 min |
| Airport (LPA) to Maspalomas | ~25–30 km | about 25–35 min |
| Maspalomas to Puerto de Mogán | ~30 km | about 35–50 min |
| Maspalomas to Roque Nublo area | ~50–60 km | about 1.25–1.5 hours |
| Las Palmas to Teror | ~20–25 km | about 30–40 min |
| Las Palmas to Tejeda | ~45–50 km | about 1–1.25 hours |
GC-1, Mountain Roads and Parking
The GC-1 motorway runs along the east and south coast, and the GC-2 serves the north-west; both are fast and often busy near Las Palmas. In the interior, roads climb in hairpins, with fog and cloud above about 1,000 m. Sections near Roque Nublo and Tejeda are narrow and shared with coaches and cyclists. Las Palmas has regulated parking with blue bays.
- Check the weather before going up to the interior
- Use low gears on long descents and keep a gap to lorries
- Fines from cameras and police are sent to the agency, which charges you after the rental
Pick-Up and Delivery
Pick-up is usually delivered to your hotel on Gran Canaria, or collected at the airport. Use the "Specify location" option in the search to choose, and check the car card for any fee. Do not rely on a named office unless it is written on the car card. If you arrive late, give the provider your flight number.
Documents and Age
- Valid driving licence, usually held for at least a year; minimum age is typically 21 (23 or 25 for larger or premium cars)
- Your national driving licence; licences issued in EU/EEA countries are normally accepted, while drivers from other countries may be asked for an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside the licence — requirements depend on where your licence was issued and can change, so check with the agency before you travel
- Passport and the booking voucher
- A payment method that matches the offer: many agencies block the deposit on a credit card; use the No deposit or No credit card filter if you need an alternative
Insurance and Deposit Explained
With basic insurance the excess — your share of any damage — can be large and the agency blocks a deposit. Full coverage brings the excess close to zero and, with many local agencies, means no deposit. Typical exclusions are tyres, glass, the underbody, interior damage and lost keys, and the cover is not valid off-road. Toll roads, fines, parking and any fuel shortfall are billed separately. Photograph the car with the agent at pick-up and return and make sure all damage is in the acceptance document.
Driving in Gran Canaria: Roads and Habits
The south is dry and warm, but the interior can be cold, wet or foggy. Keep your speed down on bends, and watch for rockfall on steep sections. Overtaking on narrow roads is risky.
- Traffic drives on the right; overtake on the left, and at roundabouts give way to cars already on the roundabout, which circulate counter-clockwise
- Speed limits are signed and cameras are common, including fixed, average-speed and mobile units; as a general guide towns are 50 km/h or lower, conventional roads about 90 km/h and motorways up to 120 km/h
- Spain has toll motorways (autopistas, signed AP) and many free autovías (signed A) that run alongside them; ask the agency how tolls are paid and whether a fee is added
- Many cities have low-emission zones (ZBE) with camera enforcement; rules differ by city and change, so check the current rules for your route and ask the agency about the car's environmental label
- Street parking is often regulated (ORA): blue bays are usually paid with a time limit, green bays are usually for residents or cost more for visitors, and yellow lines mean no parking
- Strict drink-driving limits apply and police run roadside tests; the safest rule is zero alcohol. No handheld phone, and seatbelts are compulsory for everyone
- Fuel policy is usually full-to-full; return the car with the same level as at pick-up and keep the fuel receipt
- Do not take the car on unpaved tracks, beaches or dry riverbeds: insurance is not valid off-road
- Island rental cars normally stay on the island; ferries to other islands or to the mainland are usually not allowed, so check the terms