Car rental in Roquetas de Mar for Almeria city (20 min), the Cabo de Gata volcanic coast and the Tabernas desert filming locations.
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Sample prices for a 7-day rental. Final price, deposit and terms are confirmed on Localrent.
No-deposit options
About a third of cars in Spain come with no deposit hold at pickup - look for the "No deposit" badge.
Full insurance
Zero-excess cover available on most cars - nothing taken from the deposit if something happens.
Airport & city pickup
Desks at the airport and in the city centre.
Free cancellation
Cancel free on most bookings, often up to 48 hours before pickup.
Driving here is mostly flat coast road plus the odd run inland to Cabo de Gata. Pick by group size and how far you plan to go.
Economy
Cheap to run and easy to slot into the narrow streets near the old harbour. Fine for two.
Automatic
Easier on the desert climbs up to Tabernas. Automatics are limited in Spain, so book early.
7-seater & van
For families or two couples sharing, with room for the beach gear and the airport run.
Luxury & SUV
A higher ride for the coast road and the rougher tracks around the natural park. Deposits run higher.
Roquetas de Mar is a resort built around the beach, the marina and the aquarium, and you can walk most of that. The reason to book car hire in Roquetas de Mar is everything outside the town - the coast east and west, the natural park, and the desert inland - because public transport here is thin. Covering both short and long distances in this region takes far less time by car than public transport, as there are few direct options from Roquetas de Mar to other towns and cities.
Payment and deposit
When you book you pay only a small upfront amount - usually 15-20% of the hire cost. The rest is settled at the desk on pickup. The deposit in most cases is fully refundable, and about a third of cars in Spain are handed over with no deposit at all - those are marked in the results. If you only have a debit card, pick a no-deposit rate or a cash-deposit option: nothing gets frozen on your card.
Almeria city sits just to the east. It is about fifteen minutes' drive from the city of Almeria in the same province. The capital has the Alcazaba fortress and the old-town tapas bars, and it has its own page.
For beaches and walking, the Cabo de Gata-Nijar natural park is the big draw. The driving distance from Roquetas de Mar to Cabo de Gata is about 35 miles, roughly an hour at the wheel. It is Spain's largest area of protected coastline, with some spectacular views and rock formations.
Mojacar, the white hill town further east, is the other obvious day out. From this stretch of coast Mojacar is around an hour's drive. Keep what to see there for its own page. Inland, the Tabernas desert - where the spaghetti westerns were filmed - is a short run north, and the Sierra Nevada is about two hours if you want the mountains.
This is the one local rule to check. Roquetas de Mar has its low-emission zone in the approval stage. Neighbouring Almeria city already runs one, so if you drive into the capital the rule applies there now.
For a hire car this rarely matters. Cars that carry the DGT environmental sticker can enter the Almeria zone regardless of the hours and restrictions in the municipality. Cars rented in Spain are modern and already carry that sticker (0, ECO, C or B), so a rental drives in without extra paperwork. The zone is camera-enforced on working days, Monday to Friday, from 8:00 to 20:00. The fines target older, non-compliant cars, not yours.
Quick checks at pickup
Most car hire here is collected at Almeria Airport (LEI), the nearest airport and where the cheapest rates sit. The airport to Roquetas de Mar distance is around 38 km southwest, about 30 minutes by car in average traffic. To reach the town you use the AP-7, and it takes about 30 minutes. Names you will see at the airport include Goldcar, Centauro and Europcar. Either way, an no-deposit rate avoids a deposit hold.
In Roquetas itself, parking near the marina and the beach is mostly free off-season but fills up in summer. Traffic around the town is usually not too busy, though some coastal and rural streets are relatively narrow, so a small car is the easy choice.
Almeria is one of the sunniest regions in Europe, and the shoulder seasons of autumn (September to November) and spring (March to May) bring the most pleasant temperatures for getting out and about. July and August are the peak: prices climb, automatics and 7-seaters go first, and the coast road and car parks get busy, so book several weeks ahead. Winter is mild and quiet, which suits the castles and historic sites with fewer tourists. A car still makes sense out of season for the inland and natural-park trips.
About 38 km, roughly 30 minutes by car on the AP-7 in normal traffic. Almeria Airport (LEI) is the nearest airport and where the cheapest rates and most desks are.
Yes. Roquetas's own zone is still being approved, and neighbouring Almeria's zone already allows any car with a DGT environmental sticker. Cars rented in Spain carry that sticker, so a hire car enters freely. The fines only apply to older, non-compliant vehicles.
A credit card is not always required - it is needed to hold the security deposit. At pickup the supplier freezes the deposit amount on the card: the money is not charged and is released when you return the car undamaged.
Without a credit card you still have options: choose a cash-payment rate (the «Cash» filter option) or a no-deposit rate, and nothing is held.
The deposit is an amount the rental company holds as a guarantee for the car. Road fines or damage can be deducted from it.
If the car comes back without problems, the deposit is released in full. It is a temporary hold on your card, not a charge.
It depends on the car class and the supplier - you can see the exact amount on each car's card.
You can set a maximum deposit in the filter and the catalogue shows only matching offers. The lower you set it, the fewer cars remain.
Yes. To see cars with no deposit, use the «No deposit» filter option. There are also cars with a small deposit or cash payment.
Note that "no deposit" means no hold at pickup, not no booking payment - a small upfront amount is still taken when you book. If nothing suits, contact our support team.
The deposit is the amount frozen on your card at pickup and released when you return the car undamaged.
The excess is the part of any damage you pay yourself even with insurance - anything above it is covered by the insurer.
In practice, damage is taken from the deposit up to the excess, so the deposit is often set to match it. A full, zero-excess policy removes both: you do not pay for damage and the hold is usually waived.
Cover comes in levels:
You see the available rates on each car's card when booking.
If you would rather not depend on the deposit and excess, choose the full rate.
Yes, some cars can be paid in cash - use the «Cash» filter option.
You pay a small upfront amount by debit or credit card when booking (usually 15-20% of the total), and the rest in cash at pickup.
Yes, paying for the car with cryptocurrency is possible - contact our support team to arrange it.
Cross-border trips must be agreed with the supplier in advance. There may be a small service fee and extra insurance.
To see cars allowed across the border, use the filter option or contact our support team. Do not cross the border undeclared.
Yes. In the search, set a pick-up and a drop-off point - for example collect in Roquetas de Mar and return in Almeria or at Almeria Airport.
By default the car is returned to the same place you collected it.
Most are manual, as across Spain. Automatics cost more and sell out first, especially in summer, so book one early if you need it - it makes the climbs inland to Tabernas and Sierra Nevada easier.
You need a passport, a driving licence and the rental voucher - the voucher can be shown on your phone or tablet.
It states the final price with your chosen options and insurance, so the amount due at the desk will not change.
To hire through our rental companies you need at least 2 years of driving experience.
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