Maspalomas and its dunes: what to see and do, from the lighthouse to Playa del Inglés

The answer to what to do in Maspalomas is clear: the dunes. They form a 403.9-hectare Special Nature Reserve between Playa del Inglés and the lighthouse, with three settings in one: the sea of sand, the palm grove and the La Charca lagoon. Around them you have Blue Flag beaches, the Meloneras promenade and the parks inland.

Our advice: go in early on a marked trail, do the camel ride before midday and save the sunset for the viewpoint. Most fines are handed out late in the day, when people stray into the closed area for a photo.

Our pick

1

Camels in the dunes

Thirty minutes with Camello Safari Dunas, at the same price as on its own website (€18).

Gran Canaria

GetYourGuide30 minutes

Maspalomas: Guided Camel Riding in the Maspalomas Sand Dunes

4.4 (5,243 reviews)

from €18Check availability

2

Surf lessons at Playa del Inglés

A four-hour lesson on the same beach; very well rated.

Gran Canaria

GetYourGuide4 hours

Playa del Inglés Maspalomas: High-Quality Surf Classes

4.9 (407 reviews)

from €60Check availability

3

Inland ravines and caves

Half a day in the Barranco de las Vacas, swapping sand for rock.

Gran Canaria

GetYourGuide4 hours

Maspalomas: Barranco de las Vacas & Caves with Sky Rebels

4.9 (187 reviews)

from €74Check availability

4

The dunes from the sky

A skydive over the dunes; expensive, for anyone who wants to see them from above.

Gran Canaria

GetYourGuide1.5 hours

Gran Canaria: Skydiving over Maspalomas Dunes

4.8 (113 reviews)

from €299Check availability

Maspalomas Dunes: how to visit and what is banned

Can you walk on the Maspalomas dunes? Yes, but only on the four marked trails, about 8 km in all. Off them there are ropes, posts and signs in several languages, and the area is patrolled by the Cabildo's environmental officers together with the Local Police, Canary Police and Guardia Civil, using cameras, sensors, loudspeakers and drones.

Where to get in

• Mirador de las Dunas (the dunes viewpoint), next to the Riu Palace hotel in Playa del Inglés. Beneath it is the visitor centre (Avenida de Tirajana, 1), open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 16:00. Trail number 3 starts here and crosses the dunes to Maspalomas beach.
• Área de Recepción de Usuarios (visitor reception area), at the end of Avenida del Touroperador Neckermann.

The viewpoint and the centre are at the Playa del Inglés end, not at the lighthouse. Official information on the reserve is at holaislascanarias.com.

Fines and bans

Leaving the trails carries a fine of €150 to €600; serious damage or starting a fire, €6,000 to €600,000. In a single year the Cabildo issued as many as 200 fines. Camping, filming or photographing for commercial purposes without a permit, and sex in the dunes, are also banned.

The reasons are serious: the reserve loses about 45,000 m³ of sand a year, and the Cabildo has had to put back 60,000 m³ and move a beach kiosk 80 m. In a recent August, between 150 and 300 people a day strayed into closed areas, up to 500 at sunset. A new management plan is under way and the rules may get stricter: read the signs as you go in.

Camel rides in the Maspalomas dunes

The camels you see on the sand belong to Camello Safari Dunas. Reception is next to La Charca (Calle Oceanía s/n), in tents on the east bank of the Barranco de Fataga, a few hundred metres upstream of the lagoon. The ride lasts 30 to 35 minutes in a caravan.

• Times: 09:15 to 14:15. There are no rides in the afternoon: the animals are resting.
• Price on its website: €18 adult, €13 ages 3 to 12, free from 0 to 3 on an adult's lap.
• Weight: the usual limit is 100 kg per person.
• Payment: a deposit online at camellosafari.com and the rest at reception.

GetYourGuide charges the same as the operator (€18) and Tiqets €1 more. If you book through a platform, changes and refunds go through the platform; if you want flexibility with the operator itself, book on its website.

Parking: there is no dedicated car park. The unmarked spaces along the straight stretch next to car park P, beside the steps, fill up early. The company itself recommends coming by taxi.

The lighthouse, La Charca and Meloneras

The Faro de Maspalomas, designed by Juan León y Castillo, was first lit on 1 February 1890. Its tower is about 55 m tall, it is a listed heritage site (Bien de Interés Cultural) and today it houses an ethnographic centre with a crafts exhibition, a shop and tourist information; check opening times before you go.

200 m away is La Charca, a brackish lagoon where up to 24 bird species can be counted in a day: grey heron, little egret, sanderling, coot and, now and then, osprey. You watch from the boardwalk on the west bank, for free, with no slopes and no sand underfoot.

From the lighthouse the Meloneras promenade runs west, lined with terraces and spas, as far as the small Meloneras beach.

Beaches in Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés and Meloneras

Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés, San Agustín, Las Burras and Meloneras all fly the Blue Flag. Playa del Inglés and Maspalomas form a single strip of sand at the foot of the dunes, and the nudist area begins at the bend between the two, with quiet, secluded stretches.

• Playa del Inglés: the hotel beach, with the viewpoint and the surf schools.
• Maspalomas: the lighthouse beach, with the dunes behind it.
• Meloneras: small, at the end of the promenade, for a quick dip between one terrace and the next.

For jet skis, parasailing or paddleboarding you need to go to Anfi del Mar or Puerto Rico (watersports in Gran Canaria); the dolphin boats leave from Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogán.

Sunset in Maspalomas: where to watch it without a fine

The Mirador de las Dunas, next to the Riu Palace, is the place for a sunset that doesn't involve walking on the sand; the best light on the dunes comes first and last thing. Afterwards, the Meloneras promenade is the natural place for dinner. What you shouldn't do is what half the world does: climb a crest off the trail, at exactly the hour when most fines are issued.

Things to do in Maspalomas with kids, at night or when it rains

With kids

Aqualand Maspalomas and Palmitos Park are on the same road, north of the resort, and bus 70 stops at both. Aqualand opens every day: prices, height limits and tips in Aqualand and Gran Canaria's water parks.

Palmitos Park opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:00), with dolphins and birds. On its website an adult online ticket costs from €35, €4 less than at the gate or on the platforms (€39). If you are also doing Aqualand, the combined ticket for both parks costs €62.

Sioux City Park is on the island's official list of family parks; the platforms sell it from about €25. Check opening times and transfers before you go.

At night

Holiday World Maspalomas has a funfair, Wooland, with more than 30 rides: it opens Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 16:00 to 23:00 and Friday and Saturday until 23:30. The bowling alley opens every day from 10:00 to 24:00. Gran Canaria is the island where the most tourists go out at night, and it hosts two big Pride weeks: Maspalomas Pride in May and Winter Pride in early November.

When it rains

It doesn't happen often: even in December, the wettest month, the south sees three or four days of rain. The Holiday World bowling alley is the plan close at hand; the other is to head up to Las Palmas on bus 30 (€6.15) for the Poema del Mar aquarium and the Casa de Colón: it's all in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Getting to Maspalomas: buses and parking

The Faro de Maspalomas bus station is the local hub: lines 30, 5, 50, 90, 36, 29, 32, 33, 39 and 70 stop here, plus the 66 from the airport, which runs hourly from 07:30 to 20:30 and costs €4.05 (€3.50 if you get off at Playa del Inglés). From Las Palmas (San Telmo), the 30 or the 50 cost €6.15.

• From Puerto Rico: lines 33, 39, 70, 1 or 90, €2.75.
• To Fataga and the summit: line 18 from the Faro, €2.65 to Fataga and €6.15 to Tejeda.
• By car: expect to hunt for a space. Parking near the camel reception is not guaranteed and spaces fill up early.

Tours and trips from Maspalomas

Almost every tour on the island picks up in Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés: buggies through the ravines, the Puerto de Mogán submarine, dolphin boats from Puerto Rico and day trips to the summit. A private boat has to come with a skipper: in Spain you can no longer hire any pleasure boat without a boating licence. Big-game fishing trips leave from the southern harbours; marlin season runs from May to November.

Gran Canaria

GetYourGuide30 minutes

Maspalomas: Guided Camel Riding in the Maspalomas Sand Dunes

4.4 (5,243 reviews)

from €18Check availability

Gran Canaria

GetYourGuide

Maspalomas: Palmitos Park Ticket with Dolphin and Bird Shows

4.7 (1,829 reviews)

from €39Check availability

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GetYourGuide

Maspalomas: Tickets to Sioux City Park

4.7 (716 reviews)

from €25Check availability

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Tiqets

Aqualand Maspalomas: Online Ticket

4.2 (217 reviews)

from €41Check availability

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GetYourGuide

Maspalomas: Jet Ski Tour with Hotel Transfer

5.0 (563 reviews)

from €130Check availability

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GetYourGuide8 hours

From Mogán/Maspalomas/Arguineguín: Gran Canaria Day Tour

4.2 (2,138 reviews)

from €44Check availability

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GetYourGuide4 hours

Maspalomas: Barranco de las Vacas & Caves with Sky Rebels

4.9 (187 reviews)

from €74Check availability

Gran Canaria

Tiqets

Holidayworld Wooland Fun Park: Fast Track

4.2 (52 reviews)

from €13Check availability

See all options on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 2 October 2026

For the rest of the island, go back to things to do in Gran Canaria.

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