Car Hire in Lanzarote

Why hire a car in Lanzarote?

The northernmost and easternmost of the Canaries, Lanzarote is strongly influenced by the nearby African mainland and the Sahara. While this makes the island drier than its more westerly counterparts, it is one of the reasons for the formation of the otherworldly landscapes that the island is famous for (the other is its volcanic origin). Located on the eastern coast, the town of Arrecife is the main port of entry for visitors, but hiring a car will let you explore everything that Lanzarote has to offer.

Top ways to enter Lanzarote

• Lanzarote Airport: The main airport of the island is located just southwest of its capital, Arrecife. Also known as Cesar Manrique Airport after the sculptor who hailed from the island, it is served by more than 30 airlines and handles about 7.2 million travelers annually. Lanzarote Airport is served by a number of low-cost airlines including easyJet, Vueling, and Ryanair. 
• By ferry: It is also possible to reach Lanzarote by ferry (it’s especially popular to travel by boat from its neighbor, Fuerteventura). Most ferry companies permit taking a vehicle on deck (you need to buy a separate ticket for it), but you should ask your car hire company in advance if they are okay with it. Many car hire companies don’t permit taking a car on a ferry even if you plan to later return to Lanzarote. If you wish to visit more than one island during your trip (especially if you plan to travel to islands farther way, like Tenerife of Gran Canaria), a better idea can be to drop off one car in Lanzarote, travel without a car, and hire a new one after arriving at your next destination. Ferry service is more active during the summer months, but this is also the time when tickets sell out fast, so it’s a good idea to book in advance.

Top sights and activities

• Arrecife. The largest settlement on Lanzarote, Arrecife is not only a gateway to the rest of the island, but an interesting destination in its own right. Some of the town’s landmarks include the Fort of San Gabriel (now turned into a museum), the International Museum of Contemporary Art, a beautiful promenade, and even a lagoon right in the heart of the city.
• Haría. For most visitors, Lanzarote, like the rest of its Canary sisters, is all about the beach – but that view is challenged by places like Haría. Located in the north-central part of the island, about a 30-minute drive from Arrecife, its green hills also prove that not all landscapes of Lanzarote are arid and austere. Surrounded by an area known as the Valley of a Thousand Palms, Haría is known for the home of Cesar Manrique, a Spanish artist who hailed from the area – also known as Palm Grove House, it has been turned into a museum. The main attraction of Haría, however, is the Centers of Art, Culture and Tourism (CACT), a highly unique complex that includes the volcanic Los Verdes cave, as well as the Mirador del Río, a highly unique lookout platform that was also created by Manrique.
• Timanfaya National Park. Situated on the southwestern coast of the island and named after the volcano at its heart, Timanfaya National Park is responsible for the otherworldly scenery that is featured in so many travel videos about Lanzarote. The minerals that can be found here create frankly unbelievable colour combinations. Visit the Montañas del Fuego restaurant where food is cooked on the heat coming from the volcano, then head to the park’s visitor center where you can learn about the surprising diversity of flora and fauna that can be found here.

Traffic and parking

• The speed limits are 50km/h (31mph) in built-up areas, 90km/h (56mph) on most standard roads, 100km/h (62mph) on standard roads that are either one-way roads, roads with more than two lanes for at least one direction of traffic and roads with shoulders more than 1.5m wide, and 120km/h (74mph) on motorways (called autovías in Spain).
• The car’s documentation and proof of insurance must be inside the vehicle at all times.
• The driver and all passengers are required to wear seatbelts.
• Children up to the age of 12 and measuring less than 135cm travelling in the front seat of a car must be seated in a child restraint system adapted to their size and weight.
• Unnecessary use of audible warning devices (horns) is prohibited.
• The legal alcohol limit is 0.05% for experienced drivers and 0.02% for novice drivers.
• The emergency number is 112.

Toll roads

All roads on Lanzarote are toll-free.

Ideas for day trips

• Costa Teguise. A popular tourist resort just north of Arrecife, Teguise is one of the finest scuba diving spots in all of the Canaries. There’s fun to be had outside the water, too, like in the Piracy Museum dedicated to the sea marauders who for centuries called the island their home (visit the museum’s official homepage to learn more).
• Famara. Located on a lovely bay on the west coast of the island, Famara is one of Lanzarote’s main surfing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing spots. The region’s waves are known to be especially beginner-friendly while more seasoned surfers might also test their mettle in Arrieta (to the northwest) or La Santa (just south of Famara).
• San Bartolomé. Another inland destination that’s close to the center of the island (and a very short drive northwest of Arrecife), San Bartolomé is a good place to learn about what Lanzarote was like before the arrival of international tourism. It is the home of the Monument and Museum of Peasant, as well as the Tanit Ethnographic Museum and the Lanzarote Art Center.
• Graciosa. Although sometimes not counted among the main Canaries, La Graciosa is one of the eight permanently inhabited islands of the archipelago — and more importantly, it’s also a lovely travel destination. Located just north of Lanzarote to which it is connected by ferry service, the island is home to lovely coastal hikes, a small, but interesting local museum, and the largest marine reserve in Europe.

Most popular cars

The Citroen C Elysee is the car that’s hired most often on Lanzarote, followed by the Toyota Aygo and VW Golf. The most hired car types are compact, mini, and economy.

Car hire prices in Lanzarote

• Small cars - starting at £3 per day
• Medium cars - starting at £4 per day
• Large cars - starting at £13 per day
• SUVs - starting at £8 per day
• Convertibles - starting at £29 per day
• People Carriers - starting at £9 per day
• Premium cars - starting at £73 per day
• Station wagons - starting at £17 per day

Money-saving and other tips

These are some good methods to save money on your car:

• Compare the rates of different car hire suppliers
• Book your car well in advance
• Plan your route before you go
• Know your fuel and mileage requirements
• Visit during the month when car hire prices are the cheapest. According to our data, visiting Lanzarote is the cheapest in June when hiring a car is about 70% cheaper than the yearly average.