Gran Canaria Airport to Maspalomas by hire car

How far is Maspalomas from Gran Canaria Airport?

35.1 km by road, 30 minutes without traffic. On the way the GC-1 passes Bahía Feliz at 20 minutes, San Agustín at 26 and the turn for Playa del Inglés at 27, so the resorts east of Maspalomas all sit on the same run. Meloneras, just west of the dunes, is 31 minutes from the airport, and the Faro de Maspalomas lighthouse 33.

The times in the table start at the airport's terminal road and leave out traffic, roadworks and the time spent finding a space.

Which exit do I take off the GC-1?

Exit 46, signed Avenida Touroperador Tui, for Maspalomas itself. Leave at exit 50, Pasito Blanco-Meloneras, if you are staying in Meloneras; exit 43 is the GC-500 into Playa del Inglés and exit 37 the GC-500 towards Bahía Feliz and San Agustín.

Leaving the airport you join the GC-1 at exit 16, where it becomes a motorway for the rest of the way south. The limit is 120 km/h unless signed lower. Once you leave it, the town limits apply: 50 km/h on streets with two or more lanes each way, 30 km/h on streets with one lane each way, and 20 km/h where the road and pavement are one level.

Where can I park in Maspalomas?

Two public car parks run by Parking Maspalomas are open 24 hours: the Faro car park, on Avenida Touroperador Tui and Avenida Cristóbal Colón, and Anexo II on Paseo Costa Canaria. The operator presents the Faro car park as the place to leave a car for the dunes reserve and the Meloneras promenade. Both charge by the minute.

Street parking is a separate question. San Bartolomé de Tirajana removed its 120 to 130 parking meters in 2021, and a 2022 report found the blue zones in the municipality were not operating. A yellow line along the kerb still means no parking: broken yellow for no parking, solid yellow for no stopping either, and a yellow zigzag for a bus stop or loading bay.

Can I drive to the Maspalomas dunes?

Not into them. Hire cars stay on paved public roads, and visitors to the Dunas de Maspalomas special nature reserve must keep to its 8 km of marked paths. Since April 2022 signs in the reserve warn that leaving the marked trail is prohibited, and camping is banned.

The Faro car park, which the operator names as the place to leave a car for the dunes reserve and the Meloneras promenade, is by the Faro de Maspalomas lighthouse, 3.0 km from Maspalomas, a 7-minute drive.

Where can I drive from Maspalomas?

West along the coast, the GC-1 takes you from Maspalomas to Arguineguín in 14 minutes, Puerto Rico in 21 and Puerto de Mogán in 26. Inland, the GC-60 runs 48.3 km between San Fernando and Las Crucitas, up the Barranco de Fataga towards Tejeda: Fataga village is 32 minutes from Maspalomas, and Tejeda 81 minutes by the GC-60 and GC-603.

Roque Nublo is 65 minutes from Maspalomas, but you cannot park at the rock. Parking around it has been prohibited since 3 February 2025; the park-and-ride car parks are in Tejeda and at Cruz de los Llanos, with a shuttle to the trailhead. Bus line 18 runs from the Faro de Maspalomas to the Roque Nublo trailhead three times a day, which is an option for leaving the car at the coast. The hire car must stay on paved public roads throughout.

Can I leave the car in Maspalomas at the end of the trip?

Yes, on the cars that allow it. Maspalomas is part of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, which is one of the drop-off towns for a one-way car hire from the airport: the car is collected in arrivals and handed back at an address you give in the town, so confirm that address with the booking's support before you pay. The cars that allow it are small manual hatchbacks, not the automatics and larger cars at the airport.

Cars also go the other way: a car can be delivered in San Bartolomé de Tirajana and returned at the airport.

How long should I allow to drive back to the airport?

Coming back is a shorter run than going out: Maspalomas to Gran Canaria Airport is 33.9 km and 28 minutes without traffic, on the GC-1 north to exit 16. Add time to refuel: the car goes back with the same fuel it had at collection, and the Repsol at km 16 of the GC-1, beside the airport, is open 24 hours. The handover time is on your booking, and the terminal lets passengers in during the two hours before their departure.