What rule applies in built-up areas of Fuerteventura?
In built-up areas, a vehicle must generally be positioned as close as possible to the right-hand edge of the carriageway when stopping or parking. This is set out in Article 90 of the Spanish Reglamento General de Circulación, as El Español reported on 4 October 2026.
An exception applies only to one-way streets. There, the vehicle may also be left on the left-hand edge of the carriageway. On a normal road with traffic in both directions, however, this exception does not apply.
Anyone who crosses from their side of the road to the opposite side and parks there against the direction of travel is therefore generally in breach of the rules on vehicle position when parking.
What does parking on the wrong side cost?
Parking against the direction of travel on a road with oncoming traffic can be punished as a minor offence with a fine of 100 euros.
If the vehicle is classified as a significant danger or obstruction, the sanction can be up to 500 euros and result in the deduction of six points. Examples cited by the source include leaving less than 3 metres of carriageway width, blocking a solid line, an access or a disabled crossing.
The Fuerteventura Zeitung points out that crossing a solid centre line can additionally constitute a serious offence with a fine of 200 euros. Article 167.a of the Reglamento General de Circulación generally prohibits crossing such a line.
When do 500 euros and six points apply?
It becomes particularly expensive if the driver, after crossing the line, continues for a stretch on the oncoming lane in the wrong direction. Driving against the prescribed direction of travel is a very serious traffic offence under Article 77.f of the Spanish Ley de Tráfico.
The sanction for this is 500 euros, and six points are also deducted from the Spanish driving licence points account. According to the Fuerteventura Zeitung, the Spanish traffic authority DGT has itself published cases in which drivers used the oncoming lane for only a relatively short distance.
Not every crossing of the oncoming lane to reach a parking space automatically means that the offence of driving against the direction of travel is also fulfilled. Whether independent driving in the opposite direction has occurred depends on the specific manoeuvre.
Are multiple offences simply added together?
The fact that several traffic offences occur within a single driving manoeuvre does not automatically mean that all sanctions may be added together. Article 29.5 of Ley 40/2015 contains an important rule for Spanish administrative law.
If the commission of one offence necessarily leads to another, only the sanction for the most serious offence may be imposed. On the other hand, several independent acts can also be sanctioned separately, even if they occur in immediate succession.
According to the Fuerteventura Zeitung, the DGT itself gave a clear example: drivers ignored a stop sign and then continued driving against the direction of travel. The authority treated this as two separate offences.
What applies outside built-up areas and what role do municipalities play?
Outside built-up areas, stricter requirements apply. The vehicle should not be left on the carriageway but on the right, positioned so that the usable part of the hard shoulder remains clear, as El Español reported.
Municipalities may set additional parking rules, such as time limits, pay-and-display requirements and the towing or immobilisation of incorrectly parked vehicles. The specific rules therefore depend on the respective municipality in Fuerteventura.
For the specific report of 10 October 2026, the available sources lack reliable primary sources from a Cabildo, a municipality or the Policía Local. An island-wide coordinated police campaign is not confirmed.
What should hire car drivers bear in mind now?
The rule applies regardless of place of residence, so it also applies to holidaymakers with hire cars. Anyone who spots a parking space on the opposite side of the road in Fuerteventura should not simply cross a solid centre line.
It is legally safer to continue driving and change direction at a permitted point. The parking space can then be approached from the correct direction of travel.
Residents and expats must also observe the local parking regulations and signage of their municipality in addition to the national rules. No special deadline or resident-related exemption is documented in the sources.