Maspalomas Holidays

Maspalomas has an Ant and Dec-style double act going with neighbouring Playa del Ingles. It’s impossible to mention one without the other in the same breath, and together they’re major crowd-pleasers. Maspalomas cut its teeth in the family holiday game, and brings al fresco cafés and waterparks to the table. Historic sites like the Faro de Maspalomas lighthouse elbow their way in, too. Playa del Ingles, meanwhile, smashes the getaway essentials – a big beach, home-from-home cuisine and attention-seeking nightlife.

Gran Canaria’s flag wears sunflower yellow alongside royal blue, which might just be a nod to the island’s superb beach scene. The first half mimics the dazzling braids of sand, and the second matches the barrel-load of Blue Flags awarded to its premier sunbathing spots. The shoreline around Maspalomas has four to boast about, where flaking out in the sun’s just as popular as hitting the waves for watersports.

The sand dunes of Maspalomas aren’t just one of Gran Canaria’s signature sights – they're among the best across the whole of the Canary Islands and Spain. The gold-tinted sea of peaks and troughs has nearly been named one of the 12 Treasures of Spain in the past, alongside the likes of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia and Tenerife’s Teide National Park. And they remain one of the Canary Islands’ major players to this day.