Hotels near Maspalomas Dunes

The Maspalomas Dunes cover roughly 400 hectares between Playa del Ingles and the Faro de Maspalomas lighthouse, and they are a protected nature reserve, the Reserva Natural Especial de las Dunas de Maspalomas. Sand carried in from the seabed over thousands of years has built ridges up to 12 metres high that shift measurably from one year to the next.

Walking is restricted to marked routes across the reserve, and stepping off them damages the dune system and the brackish La Charca lagoon behind it. The Maspalomas reserve has been protected since 1987. The full crossing from the Mirador de las Dunas to the lighthouse takes about an hour on soft sand, and entry is free. There is no shade anywhere inside, and the surface can exceed 50 C in August.

Pro Tip: Enter from the Mirador de las Dunas at first light. The sand is cool, the ridges are still unmarked by footprints, and you avoid the midday heat that makes the one-hour crossing genuinely unpleasant.