There is nothing better when arriving at a new destination than the feeling of freedom to decide where you are going at that very moment and there is nothing that tastes more like a vacation than the only decision you make that day is which beach to go to and where to eat. In Fuerteventura, the Canary island of the best beaches, it is essential to rent a car so in this guide we explain you everything you need to know to rent a car on the island of the beautiful beaches: what car rental companies exist, what to check at the time of rental (insurance and excess), how to get the best price and how was our experience.
Contents
- Why is it essential to rent a car in Fuerteventura?
- Is it safe / easy to drive in Fuerteventura?
- How to rent a car in Fuerteventura
- Tips for renting a car in Fuerteventura
- Where to stay in Fuerteventura: hotels and apartments with parking
- Maps and useful Apps for driving around Fuerteventura
- Our experience renting a car in Fuerteventura
Why is it essential to rent a car in Fuerteventura?
Fuerteventura is the second largest Canary Island in size which means that the distances are long (it takes almost 2 hours between North and South of the island), there are many beaches to explore (take a look at our guide), some of them hidden and wild, so to enjoy them calmly and at your own pace it is essential that you rent a car for your visit to the island.
If you are considering public transportation around the island, unfortunately we have to tell you that in this case it is not a good idea but you can check the different bus lines and their schedules on their official website.
Is it safe / easy to drive in Fuerteventura?
In general, the main roads of Fuerteventura are in good condition and it is easy to drive around the island even if you do not have much experience. However, there are also some cases of reckless driving with overtaking without visibility and in continuous lines, for example, so be patient and let anyone in a hurry pass. In any case, to reach many of the incredible corners of Fuerteventura you will have to drive on unpaved roads, where you have to go slower, although most of them are in good condition. If you have a bit more budget, it is a good idea to rent a bigger car and/or a 4×4.
Some tips if you do not have much driving experience and/or are particularly concerned about driving on more complicated or unpaved roads:
- To get to Cofete beach, one of the most spectacular panoramic views of the island, in the south, you have to go for almost 20 km on an unpaved road (the last km we were going at less than 20 km/h with the car we rented) but it is totally worth it.
- The same happens with the wildest beaches in the north of the island, Playa de Tebeto, Playa de La Mujer, Playa de Jarugo, Playa del Águila…. The road to get to these beaches is not paved and is quite rocky, so you have to go very slowly and patiently.
- Keep in mind that most car rental companies’ insurance does not cover damage caused by driving on unpaved roads, so if something happens to the car, you will have to pay.
- Drive slowly and with caution!
If you do not dare to get to Cofete with your rental car, since insurance does not usually cover any damage outside paved roads, you can hire this excursion in 4X4 (south route, in Civitatis).
How to rent a car in Fuerteventura
Car rental companies in Fuerteventura
There are several car rental companies in Fuerteventura. To find the best price, we recommend you to use DiscoverCars and to carefully check the conditions of each company and not only the price.
We recommend using local companies (Pluscar, Autoreisen, Cicar…), which offer fully comprehensive insurance without excess, two (or sometimes more) drivers included and unlimited mileage, and also usually have better prices. Of these, the two that usually have the lowest prices are Autoreisen and Pluscar but it is better to compare in DiscoverCars, and the lowest prices that can be found are usually 15€/day.
The best car rental companies (cheaper and without excess) that we have tested and have a counter at the airport so you can pick up your car as soon as you arrive are:
- Pluscar (no counter but you are met at the airport parking lot)
- Cicar and Cabrera Medina (they are the same company)*.
- Payless (the low cost of the above)
- Autoreisen
*In case you want to extend your trip and visit the neighboring Lanzarote, keep in mind that you have to confirm with the company if you can take the vehicle and if you are covered by the insurance. Of those that we have tested, at least Cicar, Cabrera Medina and Autoreisen do allow it, previous authorization of the company.
There is another car rental company that has very competitive prices but has the disadvantage of not having a counter at the airport but in the outskirts: GobyCar. GobyCar’s car pick-up counter is located in this industrial area 6 km from the airport (about 5 minutes by car) so you would have to take their free transfer to the industrial park from the airport and then leave the car there and then take their free transfer back to the airport to catch your return flight. Their schedules are limited so depending on the time of your flight, they may not be an option.
In addition to all these companies, in Fuerteventura you will also find international companies such as Sixt, EuropCar, GoldCar, Hertz, Alamo, Thrifty, Enterprise, etc., which also have a counter at the airport but are usually much more expensive than local companies and with worse conditions (insurance with excess, payment for additional drivers, etc.). Even so, depending on how in advance you book and for what month it is possible that only these companies have availability or even in some cases have better prices, hence the ideal is to use comparators such as DiscoverCars with your dates to find availability and better prices.
We try to keep this post as up to date as possible but always check the information when booking as some of these conditions may have changed and Discovercars presents all the information in a clear and transparent way.
Car rental prices in Fuerteventura
The prices to rent a car in Fuerteventura vary depending on the number of days you rent, the season, the type of car and the advance booking. They are usually around 15 € / day and 25 € / day. Prices can rise to over 100 € / day in high tourism seasons when there are few vehicles available.
Ideally, you should check and compare all the companies with availability for your dates in DiscoverCars. Remember to check the rental conditions of each company (excess, insurance coverage, fuel policy, second driver or not included, reviews…) and not only the price.
Remember that in Fuerteventura there are no tolls so you will only have to take into account the price of car rental and fuel to make an approximate budget of how much you are going to spend.
Tips for renting a car in Fuerteventura
Book in advance
Especially after the pandemic, since 2021, some of the rental companies that had to sell part of their fleet to hold on, now have difficulty acquiring more vehicles, so with less supply and much more demand, prices have risen and it is possible that in high tourist seasons they may be sold out or have prohibitive prices. Therefore, it is very important to try to book as far in advance as possible.
Deposit and Excess
Generally, the vast majority of rental car companies require a deposit when picking up the rental car, which translates into the blocking of a certain amount on the credit card, which is frozen until the end of the rental period. If there is any problem (scratches on the car, accidents, etc.), the blocked money will be used to pay these expenses (up to the value of the excess); if there is no problem, the money is unblocked from the credit card and becomes available again.
However, in most of the local rental companies we recommend in this guide (Pluscar, Autoreisen, Cicar, etc.) this does not happen since not only they do not block an amount in the credit card but the all risk insurance is included (with some exceptions, for example, it does not cover problems or damages with the car on an unpaved road)
In the DiscoverCars comparator you will be able to see clearly what is and what is not included so that there are no mistakes, and you can even filter by the companies that do not ask for a deposit.
In turn, the excess is the maximum amount that you will have to pay in case the vehicle suffers damages or important breakdowns, that is to say, you will only have to pay it in case the car has suffered damages or flaws but, in most cases, you can eliminate it by paying X euros more per day or by contracting a specific insurance. In most of the local companies we recommend, there is no excess either, although in most of the multinational companies there is.
To understand it with an example, if the excess is 700€, you will pay a maximum of 700€ in case something happens to the vehicle:
- If any part of the car is scratched and the stipulated price for it is 200€, you will pay those 200€.
- If something more serious happens and the stipulated price for it is 2400€, you will pay 700€.
- That is, up to 700€ you will have to pay it yourself, and what exceeds that will be paid by the insurance company.
The ideal, as we say, is to opt for one of the local companies, since in addition to being cheaper, you avoid having to pay anything in case of accident or damage.
Fuel Policy
Ideally, you should choose a full-full fuel policy, i.e. you receive the car with a full tank of fuel, and you deliver it equally full. There is also nothing wrong if you get the car with a half tank and you deliver it with a half tank but, besides it is always more complicated to fill the tank to exactly where you want it at the gas station before you deliver it (and you lose money), there may be misunderstandings with the company.
In either case, take a photograph of the mileage and fuel level when the car is delivered to you and you will have photographic proof of how it was delivered to you. Most of the local companies we recommend have a policy of returning the vehicle with the same fuel level as indicated in the contract. In our case we always create an alert when we rent the car so that the day before the return we remember how much fuel we have to return the vehicle with.
Mileage
Most local rental companies include unlimited mileage, so you don’t have to worry and can drive around Fuerteventura freely. In any case, be sure to confirm this in the terms and conditions (and/or use DiscoverCars filters) before booking.
Type of car
Except for the unpaved roads to reach some of the beaches (like Cofete), the roads in Fuerteventura are in good condition so in our opinion, the most basic and small car (the cheapest) is usually more than enough. In any case, depending on your preferences (if you are 5 people or even more, or if you prefer a higher end car or with more power) most companies have cars for all tastes. Use DiscoverCars filters if you have preferences to be able to compare the prices of various companies for the type of vehicle you prefer.
Extras (GPS, additional driver, baby seats, etc.)
Most of the extras have to be paid separately, making prices go up (usually X euros per day for each extra), so if you are going to need them, use DiscoverCars filters to see the prices of the different companies with those extras included and do not get surprises later at the time of booking.
One of those extras is GPS: in our opinion, it is not worth paying for it nowadays as it is much easier and faster to use apps like Google Maps on your smartphone. So, you can take our map of the island in your Google Maps app, select the place to visit and follow the GPS indications of the app itself. We recommend you to bring a good cell phone holder (and remember to remove it when you deliver the car hahaha, in our case we have already forgotten a few) and a good powerbank (some cars bring USB charger, but not always and sometimes they charge very slowly).
Payment methods
Most car rental companies ask for a credit card in the driver’s name to block the deposit amount. However, the local Canary Islands companies we recommend in this guide tend to be more flexible in this regard. In any case, the ideal thing is to consult the particular conditions of each company in the Discovercars search results (there you will find all the information).
If you don’t have a credit card, you will have to limit yourself to companies that only ask for debit cards, which in general are few and more expensive. If you search in DiscoverCars, in the filters you have a specific one (Payment Method) to see only the companies that accept one type of card or another.
Extra insurance: yes or no?
If you prefer to pay a little more to avoid headaches or hassles at the time of delivery of the rental car, you can consider hiring the Discovercars Full Coverage Insurance . The current cost is 6,36 € per day, valid for car rental in the Canary Islands. More info about the insurance.
Be careful! Most car rental companies do not cover damage caused by driving on unpaved roads and, most probably in Fuerteventura, you will venture a bit sometimes, but check well if the extra insurance coverages you see or the company offers you would cover such cases before hiring it.
As a recommendation, when the vehicle is delivered to you, make a video/photo of the car’s condition, to avoid situations in which the company tells you that some of the damage was not there and they want to charge you for it.
Taking the rental car from Fuerteventura on the ferry to another island (such as neighboring Lanzarote)
If for example, you plan to take advantage of the proximity to Lanzarote to visit both islands in the same trip, you have to confirm with the company in advance if you can do it and if the insurance covers you on the other island. In our case, we know that at least Cicar/Cabrera Medina and Autoreisen do allow it for Lanzarote with prior notice and returning the vehicle in Fuerteventura, but this could change in the future so contact the company or companies that interest you before booking if your trip includes travel with the vehicle to another island.
Where to stay in Fuerteventura: hotels and apartments with parking
Since it is a long island (and it will take you about 2 hours to cross the island from north to south), to stay in Fuerteventura we recommend one of these two options:
- Divide your stay between North and South. In the North you will find a variety of accommodations with parking in Corralejo, Cotillo and Lajares and in the South in Playas de Jandía, Morro Jable or Gran Tarajal. This way you can spend a few days exploring each area and avoid long journeys.
- Base in the center of the island as Caleta de Fuste where there are developments with apartments (several with sea views as the one we usually stay Cloud Volcano), plenty of parking space so there is never a parking problem. The advantage of basing in the center of the island is that when you wake up every day you can open the Windy app and see where it will be better (less wind if you want to swim, more wind if you want to surf) and depending on that choose where to go as you will be almost equidistant between the northern beaches and the southern beaches of the island.
In Corralejo is where you will find more life, a lot of accommodation and restaurants. In this link you will find a list of hotels with parking as the Dunas Club Hotel & Apartments.
El Cotillo is our favorite seaside village and also offers several accommodation options with parking, take a look at all of them in this link. For example, the Cotillo Sunset just a few steps from the beach:
Lajares, next to Cotillo, is considered the hipster village of the island and this is visible as soon as you arrive by the type of stores, bakeries (such as La Paneteca and El Goloso), cafes (don’t miss El Arco), restaurants, craft beer bars and, of course, the amazing houses around here like Studio Luna:
In the south, we recommend you to stay with parking near Gran Tarajal, a local village with a huge black sand beach. Take a look at the list of accommodations in Gran Tarajal with parking as Casa Playa Chica:
The other option in the south is Morro Jable, tourist area with a kilometer long beach of fine white sand and turquoise waters and the closest village to Cofete. Here there are several options with parking included (take a look here) such as Apartamentos Casa Faromar:
Another option is to stay in one of the hotels/resorts in the amazing Playas de Jandia such as the Loft del Mar.
Finally, the option to stay in the center of the island, almost equidistant from the North and the South, as in Caleta de Fuste where there is a lot of accommodation and where we usually stay. This strategic location has the advantage that you can decide every day, depending on the weather (with the help of Windy) if you go North or South. At Randomtrip we usually stay at Cloud Volcano whenever available or at one of the nearby Holidays in the Clouds:
Maps and useful Apps for driving around Fuerteventura
In this Google Maps map that you can carry on your smartphone to consult at any time we leave you all the places of interest in Fuerteventura that we talked about in our complete guide to the island.
Here is tourist map with the roads of Fuerteventura:
We recommend you to bring a good cell phone holder, to use Google Maps as GPS in the car (and remember to remove it when you deliver the car hahaha, in our case we have already forgotten a few) and a good powerbank (some cars have USB charger, but not always and sometimes charge very slowly).
In addition, we recommend you these apps that will be very useful when driving to explore Fuerteventura:
- Google Maps (Android / iOS): this app is our best friend on the road. Besides working as a GPS, it is the app we use to save / classify all the places we want to go / have gone. You can see other people’s opinions of the places, photos, restaurant menus, phone number of the places to contact them, etc.
- Maps.me (Android / iOS): this app is similar to Google Maps but works better offline than the previous one and that’s great in some parts of the island where you lose connection.
- Windy (Android / iOS / Web): essential app in our trips, even more in the windy island as Fuerteventura. It allows you to see forecasts not only wind but also rain, clouds, etc. to help you plan your days based on the weather (as there are places that lose a lot depending on the weather). Obviously the forecasts are not 100% reliable. It also shows the available webcams
Also, always travel with travel insurance: medical expenses, theft or problems with your plane on a trip can mean a lot of money, so the ideal is to take out travel insurance. At Randomtrip we always use IATI and we recommend it. If you purchase your insurance through this link you have a 5% discount.
Our experience renting a car in Fuerteventura
The truth is that after being in Fuerteventura during the lockdown, where we were traveling when the pandemic broke out by the Covid-19, the island caught us and we were marked in the soul forever. So much so that we return every year, at least one month to the island that stole our hearts and which we consider home. Every time we go, we rent a car so we have already tried all the local companies (Pluscar, Autoreisen, Cicar, Payless) and we can recommend them all. There may be some differences in the quality of the cars and/or kilometers, but since any vehicle is suitable for driving on the island, and since we have to pay a whole month’s rental, we always go for the cheapest option and have had no problems.
The attention on arrival is fast and effective, usually give us a car equivalent or even superir to the category we paid (sometimes a car with more kms and some damage to the paint but nothing special). Of course, we always book well in advance, buying prices, to avoid running out of vehicles or that the few that are there when we go have prohibitive prices.
Driving on the roads of Fuerteventura is an adventure in itself enjoying the tranquility and landscapes.
What are you waiting for to explore in your car the beautiful roads of Fuerteventura? Bon Voyage!
