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Maspalomas

Gran Canaria’s most famous holiday resort is a sun-splashed party place for a largely northern European crowd. That said, during the day (and out of season) it has a more upmarket appearance than you might expect. It's not Benidorm, nor even Los Cristianos in Tenerife. You're more likely to stumble across expensive hotels or smart apartment blocks in the centre than pubs serving full English breakfasts. On the downside, there is barely anything remotely Spanish here and the only languages you’ll need are German or English. Moreover, town planning is soulless, with all the neatly traced boulevards and roundabouts suggestive of a five-year plan.

The only sights of real interest are the astonishing dunes of Maspalomas, which are also home to some of Gran Canaria’s most luxurious hotels and the island’s largest golf course.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Maspalomas.

  • Nature Reserve

    Dunas de Maspalomas

    These fabulous dunes cover 400 hectares and were designated a nature reserve in the 1990s, ensuring that the rapidly multiplying hotels would never encroach on their golden grains. The best view of the dunes is from the bottom of Avenida Tirajana: stroll through the arches of the Hotel Riu Palace Maspalomas to the balcony, which is surrounded by a botanical garden displaying shrubs and plants native to the Canaries. There's a small information office here too (open 10am to 1pm Monday to Friday).

  • Beach

    Playa del Inglés

    Aside from the rolling Maspalomas dunes, the main attraction for the thousands of annual visitors to the island’s quintessential package-tour destination is Maspalomas' beach, a magnificent and vast sandy stretch some 2.7km long. The individual beaches, from east to west, are Playa de las Burras (San Agustín), Playa del Corralillo, Playa del Inglés and Playa de Maspalomas. They all link up to form one long, spectacular length of sand.

  • Amusement Park

    Mundo Aborigen

    Situated 6km along the road north to Fataga, around 100 model Guanches stand in various ancient poses, designed to give you an idea of what life was like before the conquistadors arrived.

  • Amusement Park

    Aqualand

    This enormous water park has miles of rides and slides; it's one for the family.