From Mogán, no small print
Car hire in Gran Canaria
The island changes completely in forty minutes: from south-west sunshine to cloud on the summit. Without a car, that island doesn't exist. Here's where to pick one up, how long the GC-1 really takes, and the small print that turns a cheap rental into an expensive one.
Where are you picking the car up?
Gran Canaria Airport (LPA)
The widest choice and the cheapest daily rate. Desks sit outside the terminal with a shuttle: allow twenty minutes between baggage and driving off. Airport to Mogán is about 50 minutes on the GC-1.
Airport to Mogán: about 50 minutes on the GC-1.
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No extra cost
Same price as going direct
A comparison, not a brand
You see what's out there, not who pays us
Free cancellation
On most rates, up to 48 h before
Written here
By people who drive the GC-1 every week
Where to pick it up
The three places that make sense on this island, and who each one suits.
Gran Canaria Airport (LPA)
The widest choice and the cheapest daily rate. Desks sit outside the terminal with a shuttle: allow twenty minutes between baggage and driving off. Airport to Mogán is about 50 minutes on the GC-1.
Airport to Mogán: about 50 minutes on the GC-1.
See pricesPuerto Rico and Mogán
Worth it if you land at night, only want the car for a couple of days, or would rather not drive straight off the plane. Smaller fleets and shorter opening hours than the airport: booking ahead matters more here.
Puerto Rico to Playa de Mogán: 15 minutes.
See pricesLas Palmas de Gran Canaria
For anyone staying in the capital who only wants a car on trip days. Mind the parking: the centre is almost all paid zones, and a neighbourhood car park usually works out cheaper.
Las Palmas to Mogán: a good hour and a quarter.
See prices
What makes a cheap rental expensive
None of them is a hidden trick: they are all in the terms. But every one of them is far better decided at home than at the desk, with a queue behind you and your bags on the floor.
- 1
The excess, not the daily rate
The rate you see when comparing almost always includes basic cover with a high excess. At the desk they'll offer to reduce it, and that's where the twelve-euro-a-day rental stops costing twelve euros a day. Decide before you arrive: either take full cover when booking, where you can compare it calmly, or turn up with the card ready for the deposit hold. What doesn't work is deciding it with a queue behind you and your bags on the floor.
- 2
There's a motorway, but not as far as you think
The GC-1 runs from the airport down to Puerto Rico and Mogán in about fifty minutes, two lanes, no drama. The trouble starts when you leave it: towards the summit or the ravines the roads narrow, the bends tighten and sometimes there are goats in the middle. If the plan includes Roque Nublo, Veneguera or the Mogán to San Nicolás road, a small car is far more enjoyable than an estate. It's not about power, it's about width.
- 3
Return it full, and fill up before the GC-1
Almost every company works full-to-full: bring it back half empty and they charge their price per litre plus a service fee, and their price is never the forecourt price. There are stations right off the GC-1 just before the airport turn-off, the logical last stop. Keep the receipt: it's the only thing that ends the argument if a charge shows up later.
- 4
"Full to full" isn't everyone's rule
Some Canarian companies work half-to-half: you get it half full and return it half full. It sounds like a detail and it isn't: fill it to the brim out of habit and you've just gifted half a tank to whoever rents it next. Find the policy name in your booking before you leave home, because nobody at the desk will remind you.
- 5
The deposit is held, and a debit card almost never works
The deposit isn't a charge: it's a hold against your credit limit, released days after you return the car. That's why nearly everyone insists on credit rather than debit, and why the card must be in the name of the driver who signs. If two of you travel and the card belongs to the one not driving, the car doesn't leave. Check when booking: some Canarian companies include zero-excess cover and ask for no deposit at all, which is a good reason to keep them on the list.
- 6
Two minutes of video before you drive off
Before leaving the car park, walk around the car filming with your phone: all four corners, the wheels, the windscreen, the roof, and the dashboard showing the odometer and the fuel needle. Thirty seconds a side. It's the only time-stamped document you'll have if a scratch that was already there turns up on return. Film it again when you hand it back. It isn't distrust: the damage report is filled in by someone in a hurry with a torch.
Forty minutes separate the sunlounger from the pine forest
It's under an hour from Puerto Rico to the summit. Up there it's ten degrees cooler, it smells of Canary pine and there's nobody about. That's the part of Gran Canaria the bus doesn't reach.
Car hire by area in the south
Each area has its own reality: where the desks are, what time they close and how far it is from the airport.
What you only see with a car
The places you actually reach by car from the south, each with its own guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a car in Gran Canaria?
To move between the south and the capital, no: the buses cover the GC-1 well, they're cheap and full of locals. For the summit, the ravines and the beaches that aren't in the brochures, yes. The difference isn't comfort, it's which island you end up seeing.
Is it cheaper at the airport or in the south?
Per day it's usually better at the airport, simply because far more fleet competes for the same customer. Collecting in Puerto Rico or Mogán pays off if you land at night, only want it for a couple of days, or would rather not drive straight off a plane.
Can I rent without a credit card?
Some local companies allow it; the international ones almost never, because they need a credit card in the driver's name to hold the deposit. You can filter by payment terms when comparing, and it's better checked then than discovered at the desk.
Is there parking in Puerto Rico and Playa de Mogán?
In Puerto Rico there's underground parking beneath the shopping centre plus street spaces that fill up by mid-morning. In Playa de Mogán the big car park by the harbour is the safe bet, especially on market Fridays, when the village fills up and parking close by stops being an option.
Can I rent in Puerto Rico without going to the airport?
Yes. In the south-west there are offices spread around Puerto Rico, Arguineguín and the Mogán area, both international chains and Canarian firms. What changes versus the airport isn't only the price: it's the hours, since several close at midday and only open mornings at weekends. Your flight time decides whether that option exists for you.
Is zero-excess insurance worth paying for?
It depends where you buy it. The cover sold at the desk is usually the most expensive of all the options. Taking it when you book works out considerably better, and some Canarian companies include it as standard at no extra charge. On an island where you'll be taking the car down narrow roads with stone walls either side, this is one of the few extras that justifies itself.
Who signs this guide
Martín Paz
Co-Founder
The critical eye behind every recommendation. A Canarian local and self-confessed foodie who knows every corner of Mogán. His mission: for every visitor to experience Mogán like a local.
Cristopher Oliva
Co-Founder
A tireless explorer of every corner of Mogán. A lover of good coffee and an expert at finding the best fresh fish of the day. His motto: "In Mogán there's always something new to discover".
Ready to get the car?
Compare the companies operating on the island, with free cancellation on most rates.
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Photographs: Roque Nublo, Barranco de Tejeda, H. Zell (CC BY 3.0) · Playa de los Amadores, Felix König (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Puerto de Mogán, Nick Iredale (CC BY-SA 2.5) · Dunas de Maspalomas, Marc Ryckaert (CC BY 3.0)