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| Driving in the Gran Canaria mountains |
Gran Canaria does have a few local driving idiosyncrasies that are worth bearing in mind when you first set out to explore the island.
The first and most important rule to remember is that Canarians drive on the right. This might seem obvious but in November 2011 a British driver brought the capital city to a standstill by driving the wrong way down the main dual carriageway.
Canarians are still not sure how to use roundabouts. They never indicate before leaving them and stay in the outside lane at all times. If you use the inside lane be prepared to go round and round when nobody lets you out. Never underestimate the power of a waving passenger's hand to clear a path.
Because lots of the roads in Gran Canaria are always busy Canarians have a different concept of safety distances to foreign drivers. This is especially true on the motorway. Stick in the right hand lane and drive at 80 kmph if you want to avoid any close shaves.
Horns are for blowing and hands are for waving, especially if they belong to Canarian taxi drivers. Feel free to beep and gesticulate back! Don't beep and wave at the blue and white, or green, police cars!
In the mountains the Canarians will drive faster than you. It's considered polite to pull over every now and then and let the queue of irate locals drive pass by. Don't beep your horn at every bend as it scares the goats!
Carry your passport or another form of oficial photo ID with you. If your driving license is a European laminated card with a photo it is enough. The police are well used to tourists, and tend to let you of minor infractions. There is a zero tolerance policy on drunk driving on Gran Canaria.
Hiring a car in Gran Canaria a car is great way of getting away from the tourist resorts and exploring the island. Car hire is hassle free and very few people have any problems. Contact me if you have any car hire problems on the island or have any suggestions about future posts for this blog.
Want to know more about Gran Canaria? Click on these links for the best posts on the Sunshine Guide to Gran Canaria:
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