Travel Tips for Holidays in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria

At the southern tip of Gran Canaria the island's most popular holiday resorts, Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas sit side by side. Playa del Ingles is the larger and caters predominantly for low budget package holiday tourists whilst Gran Canaria is a more upmarket and quieter resort.

Although the two resorts join at the eastern end of a beautiful, four mile stretch of sandy beach, they are separated inland by a 250 hectare area of sand dunes. The area is a nature reserve and habitat for several rare species of flora. Some dunes are over ten metres high and when you are in the deep valleys between them, it is easy to imagine that you are lost in a vast area of sandy desert. In reality, most of the dunes area is more like a fertile oasis and there is even a large lagoon of great ecological value. It is an important nesting site for many species of birds.

One novel way of exploring the dunes is from the back of a camel. The rides are a popular tourist attraction that takes you through a picturesque section of the dunes, starting and finishing at the camel station that is within easy walking distance of the centre of Maspalomas.

The beach itself is divided into sections and has blue flag awards. The nearest section to Maspalomas is the family section. Further on is the naturist section and beyond this is a section used by the gay community. All sections have areas where beach parasols and sun-loungers are set out for hire. There are also several beach bars for each section but the beach is so huge that the buildings do not spoil its natural beauty.

The sea is of course, the Atlantic ocean, and very big waves are common. The beach can also get very windy at times but this southern tip of Gran Canaria enjoys warm sunny weather the whole year round so it is unusual for a day in Maspalomas not to be nice enough to enjoy the wonderful beach and be able to take a dip in the sea.

Maspalomas has a delightful promenade that is full of bars, shops, and restaurants. Many of the shops are designer stores and boutiques and two five-star luxury hotels are to be found very close by. There is a fabulous choice of reasonably priced restaurants in the area, several providing free live entertainment whilst you eat.

Although Maspalomas does not offer the same level of vibrant nightlife as its neighbour, Playa del Ingles, what it does offer tends to be more sophisticated. As well as bars with live music in the form of jazz, salsa, and a wide range of pop, there are also several bars providing karaoke fun. Most of the nightclubs offer free entrance, although their drinks can often be quite pricey.

A holiday in Maspalomas offers plenty of sporting activities. Whale and dolphin spotting boat trips are available as well as game fishing safaris. Golfing holidays are popular and there is an excellent, eighteen hole golf course bordering the dunes nature reserve.

For families, the nearby Aqualand provides over thirty water-slides including a gigantic one known as the Tornado which has appeal for adults as well as children.

Whether you are looking for a naturist beach holiday, a golfing holiday or a family holiday, Maspalomas is an upmarket, all-the-year-round sunshine resort with plenty to do.

The best travel tip for arranging a holiday in Maspalomas is to use the Internet to find and book both accommodation and the cheapest flight available. You can carry out a Google search by typing search terms such as "Maspalomas Flights" and "Maspalomas Accommodation" into the Google search box. Direct flights to Las Palmas, (Gran Canaria's international airport) are available from most U.K. and other European airports. The transfer time from the Airport to Maspalomas is only thirty minutes.