The island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands of Spain is a place where you can be with or without a car rental and still have a fabulous vacation. If you head to the area of Playa del Ingles you may be happy spending your entire vacation right there. After all, everything that you need is right there in one area. Even if you do not have a hotel that is right next to the beach, this area provides good transportation options for getting around. Taxis are prevalent and fairly inexpensive, and there is also a good bus service in place.
If, however, you like to explore while you are on vacation, and you like to be on your own, then you may want to think about a car rental on Gran Canaria. Now, of course, there are also other options for seeing the island while you are there, but none give you as much freedom as renting a car.
There are all kinds of tours that you can take while on Gran Canaria that will let you get out and see the island and visit some of the other places besides just the resort where you’re staying. There is a lot to see and do on this island, as a matter of fact it is described as the little continent. The reason it is called this is because there are so many micro climates on the island. You can go from the deserts of the dunes of Maspalomas, to a mountaintop with snow, and several other microclimates in between.
In the west of Gran Canaria, you will find the wildest and most impressive region of the island. If you head to this section of the island in your rented car you want to be sure that you are comfortable driving on winding mountain roads. There is a lot of rugged and beautiful territory to cover in this section of the island, and for the most part it cannot be reached unless you have your own car rental, as few tours go to this area. You could, of course, hire private transportation, but that would very expensive.
And that is the beauty of renting a car when you are on vacation, is the fact that it allows you to get out and see so many places where the normal tourist does not go at a much lower cost than either taking tours or utilizing private transportation. On some vacations, that is not so important, as you just want to sit around and soak up some sun next to your pool. However, if you are the type that likes to get out and explore a car rental just makes sense.
You want to make sure that if you get a car rental on Gran Canaria that you have a current driver’s license and that you carry your passport with you at all times. You will be smacked with a hefty fine if you are caught driving without either of these items in your possession. Driving is on the right side of the road, so this may or may not be normal to you.
You will find parking around the island in most places to be fairly easy, the exception being Las Palmas, which is the capital of Gran Canaria and a bustling, busy city. If you head here, you may want to find a carpark for the day and take public transportation while in the city.
So if you’re the adventurous type, or perhaps you just like to get out and visit an area that you’ve spent a lot of money getting to, a car rental on Gran Canaria may be just the ticket for you.
