Garrucha is a family friendly quiet tourist resort located on the Costa Almeria in Southern Spain.
Garrucha along with Mojacar, Carboneras and Vera Playa form a strip of tourist resorts with superb beaches, bars, restaurants, hotels, villas and apartments.
We price compare saving you time & money.
The Auto Europe price comparison search engine compares the best rates between Spanish car hire providers.
No more searching, no more confusion.
Garrucha is neatly sandwiched between the seaside resorts of Mojacar and Vera Playa. Further to the south of Garrucha lies the tourist resort of Carboneras.
To the south of the resort lies the Marina Golf Mojacar as the nearest golf courses while the best Garrucha beach to spend lazy days at is the Las Escobetas Beach, which is a blue flag beach with dark sand and all the amenities.
Garrucha is well known for its fish restaurants and Friday fish market and its quality red prawns. Garrucha has earned its slogan “Garrucha, Sun and Seafood” – you can see how it looks now on our webcams page.
Getting To Garrucha – Transfers
Nearest Airport
As you will see on our map page, the nearest airport to Garrucha is Almeria Airport, 70 km away with a transfer time of roughly 55 minutes while Murcia International Airport provides a further gateway for tourists wishing to visit Garrucha and is 147 km away with a driving time of almost two hours.
Tourists arriving at Almeria Airport and Murcia Airport have few choices available when it comes to getting from the airports to the resort. They can choose to hop into a taxi outside the terminal building, book a direct transfer, catch a bus or organise car hire.
Taxis
On researching taxi fares from Murcia Airport to Garrucha you can expect to pay as much €189 and that is just one way. From Almeria Airport to Garrucha the taxi fare is around the €80 mark.
Bus
The cheapest way to get to Garrucha is to take the bus. You will have to make your way from Almeria Airport to the bus station in the centre of the city for €2 per person. From there with Alsa (https://www.alsa.es/) you can catch the bus for €7.44 for a single and €13.39 return with varying journey times of up to 2 hours. The bus does stop frequently and this is not ideal for families with children with a lot of luggage but is okay for a couple who just intend to relax. This option is not available from Murcia Airport.
Shuttle Bus
A direct shuttle bus service is very similar to a taxi service with the exception that it can be booked in advanced and that you will be met by your designated driver in the arrivals hall. From Almeria airport with a company such as shuttledirect.com you can expect to pay £148 for a return for a family of four in the month of July while from Murcia Airport with the same company in the month of July as well you will be charged £370.
These prices with the shuttle transfer companies are not seasonal so you will pay the same during the peak months of July and August as well as the off peak months of November and December.
Car Hire
Many families with children will choose to look at car hire as their means of transport while on their holidays to Garrucha, especially if they have booked villas with swimming pools on urbanisations or apartments on complexes.
This is because often these types of accommodation are not within walking distance to beaches, bars, restaurants and shops and given the heat and distance from the airport, car hire is a wise choice.
Car rental will also give holidaymakers the options of exploring the neighbouring tourist resorts and visiting the new Aqua Park in Vera 7 km away or Mini Hollywood in Tabernas approximately 60 km away.
Car rental is easiest directly at the airport and at Murcia Airport you have the choice of renting a car directly with Auriga Crown, Avis, Centauro, Europcar, Goldcar, Sol-Mar and Victoria Rent a Car and from Almeria Airport the following car rental companies have desks: Auriga Crown, Avis, Centauro, Europcar, Goldcar, Hertz and National Atesa.
Excursions From Garrucha
Renting a car gives you the ability to see a lot of the best sights on the Costa Almeria.
The Cuevas de Almanzora just inland from Garrucha are hundreds of caves etched into the cliff-face on the edge of the town. Many of these caves are used as houses which are permanently inhabited.
For families there is the Parque Acuatico Vera water park for a fun family day out.
For more culture try a trip to the nearby village of Turre, a quaint market town only 5 km inland and the livelier tourist resort of Mojacar also with many good beaches and sights.
The Mini-Hollywood theme park in the Tabernas desert (approx. 45 minutes drive) is where films such as ‘The Good the Bad and the Ugly’ and ‘Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade’ were filmed.
The town of Vera has a historical bull fighting ring which is still in operation. There is a tour from a retired ex-matador.
A two-hour drive to the south of Garrucha takes you to the world-famous Moorish city of Granada with the Alhambra Palace. You can even go skiing here in Sierra Nevada.
Everyone who wants to rent a car from either Almeria Airport or Murcia Airport will be asking themselves what the requirements are to rent a car.
Renting a Car in Garrucha – Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions include how old do I have to be to hire a car?
While there is no maximum age you have to be a minimum of twenty one years of age and in some cases you cannot hire a car unless you are at least twenty-five years of age.
It is also interesting to note that at the time of booking your hire car you will be asked what age you are meaning that the mature and more experienced drivers will get cheaper car hire than those in their early twenties.
What documents do I need to bring in order to hire a car?
Every prospective customer has to show a valid drivers’ license, passport and the credit card with which the car hire was booked. You do not have to show your insurance for your motor vehicle at home as part of your car includes insurance for that car.
Will I be the only person allowed to drive the car?
Many rental companies will allow you to put a named driver on the contract completely free of charge. The only thing you will need to do is show them their drivers’ license and passport at the same time as you are picking up your vehicle.
Will I be fully insured while I am driving around the Costa Almeria?
All major insurances are included in the price of your car rental except for some small minor items such as tyres, windows and car keys. You must ask at the desk and read the small print and for an additional small fee you can usually insure the car against these losses which will give you complete peace of mind.
What happens if I find a cheaper quote elsewhere after I have made the booking?
You can usually ask your car rental company to match the quote or cancel the booking and rebook elsewhere. Usually there are no cancellation fees, although you may be charged a small administration fee.
Is petrol included in the price of my car rental?
This varies from company to company and you may want to hire an almost empty car and fill it yourself on leaving the airport and return it empty, it depends on you. This is however not a wise idea if you arriving late at night, because the petrol stations in Spain are not open twenty four a day and the majority close at ten at night to reopen at six the next morning.
If you do hire a car with a full tank of petrol you will need to return the car the same way on the day of departure otherwise not only will you be charged for the full tank, it may be a lot more expensive than if you filled the car yourself.
You may be wondering where the nearest petrol stations are. If you are flying into Murcia Airport then you will have to drive into the centre of San Javier six kilometres away to fill up and then make your way to Garrucha and if you are flying into Almeria Airport there is a fuelling station one kilometre away from the entrance of the airport.
What happens if my car breaks down while I am on holiday?
As the major car hire companies invest in the newest models and service their vehicles regularly, this scenario is very unlikely. For your own peace of mind every car rental comes with a twenty-four hour breakdown assistance so you will not be faced with any extra bills.
Should I bring my own baby seats or car seats?
That is entirely up to you. Baby and car seats can be rented from as little as €3 a day with a maximum of €40. These optional extras should be reserved at the time of booking because otherwise you may find on arrival that they have all been rented especially in the peak tourist season. No frills carrier Ryan Air will charge you €15 each way to bring your own car seats making bringing them on vacation more of a hassle than it is worth.
Can I rent a GPS?
A GPS is all the rage making finding your way around Garrucha and the Costa Almeria a piece of cake. Spanish road maps have a bad reputation when it comes to their lack of accuracy! While some luxury rental models will have a GPS as part of their inventory, the more economical models don’t possess that luxury and you can hire a GPS on arrival in Spain.
What happens if I am caught speeding or get a parking ticket?
There are several ways of dealing with the issue. You have thirty days to pay the fine yourself at the Town Hall which is the right thing to do, or inform the rental company at the drop off and they will normally quietly deal with the matter at no expense to yourselves. Should you fail to do so you will find that the fine with be charged to your credit card along with a hefty surcharge!
What if I am late returning the car to the airport?
It is always best to stick to the agreed time but if you are more than two hours late you may find that you will have to pay for an extra day which is only fair as the car hire company does not have the car in their possession to be able to rent the vehicle out to the next lot of tourists and may even have a booking for that car which they cannot honour.
Optional extras which may be of interest should the necessity arise would be ski chains and ski racks, roof boxes and roof racks. You would only really need the ski gear in winter if you intend to drive into the Sierra Nevada to do some skiing.
All rental vehicles will have air conditioning which is vital in the summer and it is up to you to book car to suit your needs such as adequate boot space for luggage especially for families with children who are bringing push chairs.
As mentioned before most people will hire cars directly at the airport and you can compare rental companies before departure and secure the best deals. Car rental is seasonal and you can expect to pay more for the same car in the months of July and August than at any other given time. What with so many people wanting to book the cheapest deals don’t wait until your arrival in Spain as you may find yourself stranded at the airport!
Example of Rates
At Almeria Airport examples of car hire during the month of October can be booked from as little as £140 for a two week period for a small car which is cheaper than a taxi or direct transfer and you have the luxury of being able to use the car for a full two week period.
From Murcia Airport examples of car hire during the same period of time starts at £109 for two weeks in a small car and given the distance from Murcia Airport to Garrucha I think that this is an excellent deal!
Local Car Hire Companies in Garrucha
Renting a car locally in Garrucha itself is more of a challenge but Europcar has its office on the Avenida del Mediterraneo near the resort centre.
Alternatively there are these rental companies based in nearby Mojacar.
Crown
Address: C/ Ventanicas, S/N, Mojácar
Telephone: 950 478 976
Mo-car Rent A Car
Address: C/ Guardias Viejas, 3, Mojácar
Telephone: 950 478 307
Page Summary: Hiring a car at the airport for a vacation to Garrucha is definitely the way to go especially in the off peak months as it is cheaper than a taxi and shuttle. Couples on a budget could try the bus option from Almeria Airport but be prepared for a much longer journey time.
Most Relevant Related Pages:
Leave a Reply