Fuerteventura Rent a Car

Renting a car in Fuerteventura: a practical guide for your trip

A hire car is the easiest way to see Fuerteventura. The island is long and its best beaches, viewpoints and villages are spread out, while public transport is limited, so having your own wheels turns a beach holiday into a proper road trip. This guide covers what to know before you book and how to drive here with confidence.

Why a car makes sense on Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura is the second-largest of the Canary Islands and its highlights are scattered from the dunes of Corralejo in the north to the long white beaches of the Jandia peninsula in the south. Distances are modest and there are no toll roads anywhere on the island, so a small car will comfortably reach almost everything. The local Tiadhe bus network connects the main towns but runs infrequently to the quieter beaches and villages, which is exactly where a car pays off. If your plan is to stay on one resort beach the whole week you may not need one, but for exploring it is hard to beat.

Booking your rental: what to look for

• Compare before you arrive. Booking online in advance is almost always cheaper than walking up to a desk, and gives you a wider choice of vehicles, especially in the busy winter and summer high seasons.
• Read the fuel and insurance terms. Check the fuel policy (full-to-full is the fairest) and what the included insurance actually covers. Consider topping up excess-reduction cover so a scratch does not spoil the trip.
• Use a licensed, reputable company. Book with an established provider rather than an informal private arrangement, so you are properly insured and covered if anything goes wrong.
• Bring the right documents. You will need a valid driving licence, the card the booking was made on and your booking reference. EU/EEA licences are accepted; visitors from outside the EU should check in advance whether an International Driving Permit is required alongside their national licence.

Picking your car up

Most visitors collect their car at Fuerteventura Airport (FUE) in El Matorral, just a few kilometres south of the capital Puerto del Rosario, where all the main rental companies have desks. You can also pick up in the resort towns of Corralejo, Caleta de Fuste and Morro Jable. Airport collection is the most convenient if you want to start exploring the moment you land; a resort pick-up can be handy if you only want the car for a few days of your stay.

Driving in Fuerteventura: local tips

Driving here is straightforward and relaxed, but a few local points are worth knowing:

• Drive on the right and go anticlockwise around roundabouts, as everywhere in Spain.
• It is a windy island. Strong crosswinds are common on open and coastal roads, and blown sand can drift across the tarmac near the dunes, so keep a firm grip on the wheel and ease off your speed in gusts.
• Watch for free-roaming goats. Fuerteventura has a large goat population and animals sometimes wander onto rural roads, so stay alert away from the towns.
• Fill up when you can. Petrol stations cluster around the towns and the main FV-2 and FV-1 roads; the centre and west of the island have very few. Many are attended rather than self-service, and some close on Sundays or over the lunch hours, so refuel before heading into remote areas.
• Roads are generally good. The main routes are well surfaced, but some tracks to hidden beaches are unpaved. Standard hire cars are usually not insured off-road, so check your agreement before venturing onto dirt tracks.

Getting around: distances at a glance

To give a sense of scale, it is roughly a 35 to 40 minute drive from the airport up to Corralejo in the north, about 10 minutes to the nearby resort of Caleta de Fuste, and around an hour and a half down to Morro Jable in the far south. Nothing on the island is truly far, which is what makes a self-drive holiday here so rewarding.

Turning your trip into a road trip? There is also a rooftop tent rental to explore the island with your hire car.

Plan the rest of your trip

Heading north? Read about Corralejo, one of the island's most popular towns, or check the weather and temperature in Fuerteventura before you go. Please contact us for any tourist information.