Maspalomas is located on the southern coast of the beautiful island of Gran Canaria. The holiday resort is separated from the beach by vast sand dunes that cover an area of about 400 plus hectares. Visually like the Sahara sand desert, these spectacular dunes provide a quick reminder of just how near Gran Canaria is to the west coast of Africa. This huge expanse of rolling sand has been pronounced a protected natural park, mainly because of the extremely rare fauna, reptiles and animals, including rabbits and lizards, which somehow manage to survive in this extreme environment. Many tourists to
Maspalomas take an unusual but memorable camel ride through the dunes.
Maspalamos is marketed as a more up market type holiday resort with several luxurious villas and some five star hotels. It is generally considered more family friendly than the closeby Playa del Ingles. Along the western rim of the dunes is the La Charca lagoon, which gives a welcome stop off point for many migratory wildfowl. Next to the lagoon is the aptly named area of El Oasis which has several so called trendy hotels. The 200+ foot high lighthouse, the Faro de Maspalamos, which was constructed just over 100 years ago, is also to be found there.
Maspalomas golf is an excellent 18 hole golf course, a Mackenzie Ross design, which is quite flat and with long and generous fairways. Practice facilities including a putting green, range and pitching area are also on site.
There is a commercial shopping centre in the town called Faro 2, which has several quality designer boutiques. Maspalamos also has its fare share of music bars, discos and dance clubs, plus a large selection of places to dine including takeaways, pizza parlours and traditional seafood restaurants.
Maspalomas beach is of a fine golden sand backing onto the vast dunes and stretching for over 4 miles in total so there are lots of more secluded areas along its entire length. The quieter sections of the Maspalomas beach are often used by nudists and tourists from the gay community, while the large area near the lighthouse is more popular with families. Further east is the busy town of Playa del Ingles which also has some excellent tourist facilities.
Maspalomas attractions include the Palmitos Park, one of the most visited family stops on Gran Canaria. It is a tropical oasis and home to a large collection of animals, including the crocodiles, apes, butterflies and about 200 or so types of bird. There are many displays, including the birds of prey show that features peregrines, eagles and owls. Another crowd favourite is the parrot show in which you get to watch these colourful intelligent birds performing a range of clever tricks. Palmitos Park also has the largest butterfly display in Europe, plus an aquarium showing an impressive number of salt and fresh water fish species. Other sights inside the park include the Orchid House, the Cactus Garden and the Gibbon Island. Apparently behind all of this is a conservation program that helps to protect some endangered species.
The largest aqua park on Gran Canaria is also located near to Maspalamos. Aquasur has plenty of thrill rides and water attractions, with names such as the Congo River, Rapids, Aquamania, Twister, Surf Beach, Kamikaze, Adrenalina, Mamut and Crazy River, I think it just about sums up what you are in for!. There is also crazy golf, the Polinesia Park, bathing pools for adults and kids, cafes and a nice garden area. Due to the fine
Maspalomas weather, Aquasur is a year round attraction.
