Touring South to West - Maspalomas

Let’s start our tour from south to west with Maspalomas, also known as the Maspalomas Costa Canaria, as it also comprises the beach resorts of Águila, Las Burras, San Agustín and Playa del Inglés. Here you’ll find a land strip of 2000 hectares with a total of 17 km of wonderful coastline with sand dunes, wide, sandy beaches, shallow waters and an excellent all- year-round climate – a paradise for beach lovers and family holidays.

The more upmarket Maspalomas resort, with smart hotels, luxury residences and the largest golf course on the island, is separated from Playa del Inglés by a spectacular stretch of 400 hectares of dunes, which in 1994 were designated a national park. You can only cross the dunes on foot or by camel, which makes one believe you’re in a different part of the world altogether. The dunes also provide a habitat for a number of rare plant species, some of which are only to be found in the Canaries, which somehow manage to survive in this arid environment alongside lizards and rabbits.

Maspalomas endures as a favourite zone for nudists and gays – so do bear this in mind when strolling along.

At the western end of this nature park you’ll find El Oasis, an area with ultra-chic hotels, which is bordered by La Charca, the remains of a sea-water lagoon bordered with palm trees, hosting many species of migratory birds from Europe stopping here on their route to Africa.

A noteworthy sightseeing attraction close to El Oasis that you won’t be able to miss is Faro de Maspalomas, a lighthouse built in 1886. At 65 metres tall, it dominates the area and serves as a crucial beacon for ships sailing in the region.

Since the 1960s the economy of the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana has been boosted by the thriving tourism in this area, but with the modern Palacio de Congressos de Maspalomas, a conference centre with a 5000+ capacity, Maspalomas has started to attract business travellers too.

But that’s not all. There’s so much more entertainment and fun to be found in the nearby surroundings or just a few kilometres north of Maspalomas with attractions such as Aqualand Maspalomas, (the biggest water park on the island), Holiday World (an extensive amusement park with a Ferris wheel), Palmitos Park (an ornithological park with aquarium, butterfly house and orchids), Sioux City (a Wild West theme park) and the fascinating Mundo Aborigen (“a place of cultural, social and historical interest”, according to the Canarian government).