Rent a Car

Before you travel

Before you travel, it’s best to book your car in advance. There have been periods when it was nearly impossible to rent a car in Fuerteventura due to limited inventory, especially after the pandemic (across all companies, not just Cicar). Booking in advance will likely get you a cheaper price. Cancellation is free, so make your reservation as soon as possible.

Cicar offers free basic baby/child car seats and boosters included in the price. However, the offered car seats are very basic and the way they’re fastened in the car doesn’t convey a strong sense of safety. Car seats for older children should be fine, but when traveling with a baby, I’d consider bringing my own car seat (airlines such as Ryanair let you bring a car seat with you for free).

Another thing to consider before booking is that the full comprehensive insurance only covers you on paved roads. Many interesting sights are off the paved roads, such as Cofete Beach, Popcorn Beach, Mojanicho, Barranco Encantado, and many more. We asked Cicar, and they confirmed that they don’t have any cars that are officially allowed on dirt roads.

You can take the risk (you won’t be alone and will see many rental cars in these places) or plan accordingly. For example, you can use the bus to go to Cofete Beach. In any case, it’s good to be aware of this in advance.

As for the car, for our family, we usually pick the Opel Mokka, Seat Arona, or Peugeot 2008 with an automatic transmission. These cars are still very affordable, offer enough space for a family of four, are well-equipped (typically with parking sensors, CarPlay, etc.), and have higher ground clearance, which comes in handy on some of the unpaved roads you’re not supposed to go on 😁.

When you arrive

When you arrive, all the car rental companies have their offices in the Arrivals hall.

When renting from Cicar, be aware of long queues that tend to get longer every time a new plane lands. Upon arrival, it’s best not to hesitate and quickly find the right queue. In the meantime, kids can look for the massive aquarium that’s between Arrivals and Departures 🙂

The rental process itself is easy, and no deposit is required. They will typically ask for the address of your accommodation, so have that ready as well. They will give you the car keys along with the number of a parking spot where you’ll find your car. The parking lot is right in front of the airport, so it’s very easy to find (when you’re standing at the Cicar counter, it’s behind you across the street).

On the parking lot, there is a smaller Cicar office where you can pick up car seats for the children. And off you go! If you need to buy some gas, there’s a gas station right next to the roundabout on your way out of the airport.

Driving around Fuerteventura

While driving around Fuerteventura, you’ll find that the island has a well-developed road network with good infrastructure.

Driving is easy, and you don’t need to be an experienced driver. It’s usually easy to find free parking close to your destination.

Be extra careful near the most popular tourist spots, as drivers might stop suddenly while looking for a parking spot (for example, near the Dunas).

Also, be cautious when parking next to a road to avoid getting stuck in the sand.

Returning your car

When it’s time to return the car, make sure to return it with the same amount of petrol. There is a Cepsa gas station right before you reach the airport that you can use.

Then, head over to the parking lot and find an empty space assigned to your car rental company. If you’re renting with Cicar, you’ll leave the car seats in the car and go to the small office on the parking lot to return the keys.

The returning process couldn’t be simpler - sometimes they just take the keys and say goodbye. Sometimes they may want to know the parking spot number and the fuel level, so it’s a good idea to take some pictures just to be sure.