Car hire in Meloneras

Meloneras is the newest and most polished corner of the Maspalomas resort area, a stretch of hotels, golf and seafront promenade that runs west from the Faro de Maspalomas lighthouse at the southern tip of Gran Canaria. Plenty of visitors arrive by airport transfer and only decide on a car once they have settled in, which is why local car hire matters here.

Where to pick up

Three companies have offices in Meloneras. Orlando and Omega Rent A Car are both in the Oasis Beach shopping centre, while SIXT is on Avenida Cristóbal Colón close by. A town office suits a car for a few days in the middle of your stay, but check the opening hours, since resort desks often close for the afternoon or on Sundays.

Three drives from Meloneras

• North on the GC-60: the road climbs from Maspalomas through the Fataga valley and San Bartolomé de Tirajana towards Tejeda and the centre of the island, with viewpoints such as Degollada de la Yegua and Mirador de Fataga. Roque Nublo, the towering volcanic rock at around 1,800 metres, is a short hike from the road.
• West on the GC-500: the old coast road links Arguineguín, Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogán, slower but more scenic than the motorway.
• Up from Mogán: the GC-605 winds from Mogán village into the highlands past pine forest and reservoirs, a good loop to combine with the GC-60.

Good to know

The GC-1 motorway links the south with the airport and Las Palmas and is the quickest way north. Mountain roads are steep, narrow and full of hairpins, and you will share them with cyclists and coaches, so a small car with a little power is easier than an economy model with a full load. Weather can change fast in the interior; it is often cloudy and much cooler at Tejeda when Meloneras is sunny. In the resort itself, the car parks near the lighthouse fill up in the evening when people come for the sunset.