Convertible Hire in Spain and the Canary Islands: Which Island, Which Season

07.11.2026 ·

If you want to drive with the roof down in winter, hire in the Canary Islands, not on the Spanish mainland: in the Spanish weather agency’s 1981–2010 averages, the January daytime high is 20.6–21.7 °C at the four Canary airports we compared and 15.2–17.0 °C at the four mainland and Mallorca stations. In summer the picture flips the other way: Seville averages a 36.0 °C July high, the Canary airports stay at 27.5–29.1 °C in August. [S1] [S2]

That is the whole decision in two lines. The rest of this guide shows the numbers, explains why the choice between the Canary islands matters less than people expect, and says plainly what we can and cannot offer: our cars are in Tenerife.

Does the Canary climate really beat the mainland for an open-top car?

We took the official climate normals of the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) for the airport stations of four Canary islands and four mainland and Mallorca cities. These are averages for 1981–2010, so they describe a typical year, not a forecast. Airport stations sit near sea level, which matters for the Tenerife row below. [S1] [S2]

Station	Average high, January	Average high, August	Rain per year	Days with 1 mm or more
Tenerife Sur airport	21.7 °C	28.4 °C	132 mm	15.2
Gran Canaria airport	20.8 °C	27.5 °C	151 mm	22.1
Lanzarote airport	20.7 °C	29.1 °C	111 mm	19.0
Fuerteventura airport	20.6 °C	27.8 °C	98 mm	15.7
Seville airport	16.0 °C	35.5 °C	539 mm	50.5
Málaga airport	16.8 °C	30.8 °C	534 mm	42.3
Palma de Mallorca airport	15.2 °C	31.3 °C	411 mm	50.9
Alicante	17.0 °C	30.8 °C	311 mm	37.5

Two things stand out. The Canary stations get between a fifth and a little over a quarter of Seville’s yearly rain and between 30 and 44 percent of its rainy days. And their January highs are 3.6 to 6.5 degrees above the mainland and Mallorca stations, which is the difference between a warm coat and a T-shirt with the roof down. [S1] [S2]

Our reading, as people who hand out convertible keys every day: a mainland winter or an Andalusian summer is not a roof-down holiday. A 36 °C average high in July means midday driving with the roof closed and the air conditioning on, which you can do in any hatchback.

Which Canary island is best for a convertible?

Looking at the table, honestly: they are close. The four islands differ by about one degree in January and about 1.6 degrees in August. Gran Canaria is the wettest of the four on paper (151 mm, 22 rainy days), Fuerteventura the driest (98 mm). [S1]

What does separate the islands is the road. Tenerife has the Teide massif in the middle of the island, and AEMET also publishes the normals for the Izaña observatory at 2,369 metres on the Teide massif: January average high 7.5 °C, average low 1.1 °C, and 12.3 days a month with frost, against 21.7 °C on the south coast at the airport. [S3] So the same morning can offer a sea-level coast road in shirt sleeves and a mountain road where you want the roof up and a jacket on. For a convertible that is a feature: one car, a choice of climates on the same day. We describe the seasons on the island itself in the best time for a convertible in Tenerife.

If you are choosing between islands for the car alone, pick the island where you will actually sleep, and hire there. Hiring a convertible on one island and ferrying it to another is a different question, covered below.

Which season on the Canaries?

On the south coast of Tenerife, the airport station shows a January high of 21.7 °C, rising to 28.4 °C in August. The wettest months are December (30 mm) and November (26 mm); June, July and August each average between 0 and 1 mm. [S1] That makes late spring through early autumn the driest, hottest stretch, and November to February the wettest, although even the wettest month at the airport averages 30 mm.

The point for a convertible hirer: on the south coast of Tenerife there is no month in these normals when the average high falls below 21 °C. The season question here is “how much do I want it to be hot?” and not “will it be open-top weather at all?”. [S1]

Can I take a hire convertible to another island or to the mainland?

With us, only with written consent. Our rental terms say the vehicle may be used on the island of Tenerife only, and that taking it to another island or to mainland Spain requires our prior written consent. [S4] Driving on unpaved, volcanic or off-road tracks is prohibited as well. [S4]

So if your plan is “Tenerife and La Gomera in one trip”, ask us before booking, not on the dock. The practical side of crossing with a rental car is in ferry with a hire car from Tenerife to La Gomera. If your plan is Gran Canaria or the mainland, you will need a local company there, and the climate table above is the part of this guide that still applies to you.

What do we need from you to hire a convertible in Tenerife?

The rules are short, and they are on one page: [S4]

Driver aged 26 or over, with a driving licence held for more than two years. Younger or newer drivers are possible only by prior individual agreement, and not for every car.
A valid national licence that meets international requirements (a licence not in the Latin alphabet needs an International Driving Permit as well), and a passport or ID.
A prepayment of 100 € once we have your documents; it is deducted from the rental price and is not refundable.
A refundable security deposit of 300, 600 or 1,000 € at handover, depending on the car, equal to the insurance excess. The exact amount is on each car’s page.
We deliver the car to the address you agree, at Tenerife South (TFS) or North (TFN) airport or a hotel; we have no permanent counter. [S4] [S5]

Comprehensive insurance with an excess is included in the price. [S4] For the full picture of what a rental costs, car hire costs in Tenerife walks through it line by line.

Which convertible, and what does the card say?

The category page lists every open-top car with a “from” price per day; on 7 November 2026 prices started at 20 € (Golf VI Cabriolet 1.6 TDI). [S5] Three cars cover most trips, and each page shows its own exact price, deposit and minimum rental. The figures below are what the pages showed on 7 November 2026: [S5]

Mazda MX-5 Miata Cabriolet: two seats, one bag. The page does not state the gearbox: ask us before booking. From 70 € a day, deposit 600 €, minimum rental from three days. The roadster for coast and mountain bends, and the right car for two people with small luggage.
Audi A5 Cabriolet: four seats, three bags, automatic, diesel. From 95 € a day, deposit 600 €. The long-day cruiser.
Ford Mustang EcoBoost Cabriolet: four seats, two bags. The page does not state the gearbox: ask us before booking. From 115 € a day, deposit 1,000 €. The loud one.

All of them, and the cheaper and the larger ones, are on the convertible category page. To see whether your dates are free, open the car page and use the booking form, or message us on WhatsApp with the dates and the car you like; dates are held once we have your documents and the prepayment. If the island decision is already made, convertible car rental in Tenerife is where to start.

FAQ

Is Spain a good place for a convertible in winter?

The Canary Islands are; the mainland mostly is not. January average highs are 20.6–21.7 °C at the Canary airports we compared and 15.2–17.0 °C at Seville, Málaga, Palma and Alicante. [S1] [S2]

Which Canary island is the warmest for a convertible?

On the airport averages they are within about one degree in January and within 1.6 degrees in August. Lanzarote has the highest August average high (29.1 °C), Fuerteventura the lowest rainfall (98 mm a year). [S1]

Can I take a Tenerife hire car to La Gomera or another island?

Only with our prior written consent, which you should ask for before booking. [S4]

Do I need an International Driving Permit?

A valid national licence that meets international requirements is accepted. If your licence is not in the Latin alphabet, bring an International Driving Permit as well. [S4]