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The Canary Islands, an archipelago belonging to Spain, are located close to Morocco’s coast. One convenient aspect of traveling to the Canary Islands is that if you fly from a Schengen zone country in Europe, you won’t need to clear immigration and customs upon arrival.

When planning your visit, it’s best to choose one island as your base and then take a ferry or a flight to explore the other islands. Ferries are great for inter-island travel due to their scenic routes and convenience.

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Car Rentals on the Canary Islands

Rental cars are quite affordable on the Canary Islands. You can use companies like Cicar or Cabrera Medina, which are essentially the same company with the same cars but have two different websites. Therefore, make sure to check both websites to compare prices. Most rental costs include insurance, so there’s no need to purchase additional coverage. In fact, the rental car companies did not even upsell me anything.

Moreover, you’ll pay for your rental when you pick up the car. It’s advisable to book in advance to secure a good rate, especially if you need a larger vehicle or an automatic transmission. Rental locations are conveniently situated, including at the airport, the city, and the ferry ports for pick up and drop off.

Driving in the Canary Islands is similar to driving in the United States, and a standard U.S. driver’s license is sufficient.

If you do not want to drive, public buses and taxis are the primary modes of transportation on the islands, as ride-sharing services are unavailable.

Canary Islands Accommodation Options

Hotels and resorts often offer half-board packages that include lunch and dinner. All-inclusive resorts are also available for those seeking a more luxury experience.

Redeeming Miles for Business Class Flights to Canary Islands

I redeemed 60,000 Flying Blue points plus $221 with Air France for a one-way business class flight between Seattle and Lisbon (with a layover in Paris). Then, I booked a quick flight to Gran Canaria from Lisbon.

Traveling to the Canary Islands with Miles and Points — **Air France A350 Business Class Suite with Door**

For the return, I redeemed 34,000 Iberia Avios miles plus $164 for a one-way direct business class flight between Madrid and Chicago O’Hare.

Redeeming Hotel Points for Resort Stays on Canary Islands

As I previously mentioned, it’s best to choose one island as the base and travel by ferry to other islands. In my case, I started with Gran Canaria island.

I truly enjoyed round-trip lie-flat business class flights using miles and stayed at Hyatt’s all-inclusive resorts on two different islands using the World of Hyatt points.

Gran Canaria

Upon arrival at Gran Canaria, I picked up my rental car with the Cicar company from the airport and drove to the Maspalomas, where the hotel is.
I stayed three nights at the adults-only Don Gregory by Dunas, but it’s not part of any hotel rewards program.
- I did that because I wanted a beachfront resort, and Chase Travel targeted me with a promotion to earn 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points that worked well with my plan.
- The rate on Chase Travel was the cheapest compared to other booking sites, and it also offers a half-board (breakfast and dinner) option. I enjoyed my stay at that resort, especially their heated infinity pool overlooking the ocean. However, parking spaces at the resort are limited, and parking in a busy area like Maspalomas is challenging.

There are hotel chains on the Gran Canaria that you can use points, depending on what you are looking for. For examples:
- Luxury Santa Catalina A Royal Hideaway Hotel, part of the Preferred Hotels and Resorts. You can use Choice Privileges points to book.
- Ascend Hotels by Choice Hotels.
- Marriott Bonvoy Hotels.
I returned the car to the Cicar Las Palmas location. From there, it is a 20-minute walk or a quick taxi ride to the Fred Olsen Express ferry that I took to another island, Fuerteventura.
- There are many ports in Gran Canaria, so make sure to pick the right one.
- The ferry from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria to Morro Jable, Fuerteventura takes approximately 2 hours.

Fuerteventura

Upon arrival at the Morro Jable port in Fuerteventura, the Cicar car rental agent picked me up and took me to the office in town.
After driving to see a couple of Fuerteventura highlights, I checked in at the Sheraton Fuerteventura Beach Resort.
I used two Marriott free-night 35k certificates and topped them off with 10,000 points for two nights (40k points per night).

After two pleasant days at the Sheraton Fuerteventura Beach Golf & Spa Resort, I moved to another side of the island: Corralejo, a town where the ferry leaves for the third island.

I stayed at Alua Suites Fuerteventura for two nights. I redeemed 12,000 World of Hyatt points per night, which included an all-inclusive offer also.
In addition, I used a Club Access Award for this reservation and had access to the exclusive Alua Suites My Favorite Club, which was totally worth it.
At check-out, my bill was zero. That’s amazing!

Lanzarote

After dropping off my rental car at the ferry terminal in Corralejo, I boarded Líneas Romero and sailed to Lanzarote, which is merely 20 minutes away from Fuerteventura. I picked up the Cabrera Medina rental car at the ferry town Playa Blanca in Lanzarote and drove to Secrets Lanzarote Resort.

I redeemed 17,000 World of Hyatt points per night at Secrets Lanzarote Resort, where I stayed for four nights.
The redemption rate also includes Unlimited Luxury Board, a.k.a All-Inclusive, package.
I also used a Suite Upgrade Award gifted by another Hyatt member for this reservation and was upgraded to the Preferred Club Junior Suite Oceanview.
Thanks to the Suite Upgrade Award, I had access to the Preferred Club Lounge and the exclusive Preferred Club pool, area, and restaurants during the entire stay. The final bill at check-out is completely zero.
- It’s worth mentioning that you can also use Club Access Award for the Preferred Club access too.

Madrid

Finally, I returned my rental car at the Lanzarote airport and flew to Madrid before heading back to Chicago with Iberia.

While in Madrid, we stayed two nights at the Hyatt Thompson Madrid, Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts, using my Amex $200 Hotel Statement Credits last year and this year.
I also stayed one night at the Air Rooms Madrid Airport by Premium Traveller using Capital One Venture X $300 Travel Credit.
- The hotel is inside Terminal 4, which made it convenient for me to catch my morning flight to Chicago the next day in Terminal 4S.

Review: Iberia A330 Business Class Madrid to Chicago

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Phly Wright

Hi there, my name is Phly (pronounced as Fly). I am a dedicated travel enthusiast with a deep passion for miles and points. Always willing to share my expertise, I possess a wealth of knowledge on miles and points, extensively researching and staying up-to-date with the latest strategies for maximizing travel rewards through credit cards and loyalty program promotions.