Point of interest
Dunas de Maspalomas (Reserva Natural Especial)
in Maspalomas (Gran Canaria), Spain
404 hectares of shifting dunes like a mini-Sahara beside the Atlantic - the resort's emblem, best on foot or at sunrise.
Where it is
The dunes stretch along the southern tip of Gran Canaria between Playa del Inglés and the Maspalomas lighthouse, in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana.
What it is
Reaching up to ten metres high, the shifting dunes are the icon of the south and invite long walks at sunrise and sunset. Marked paths protect the fragile vegetation; large parts are clothing-optional, and the dune belt behind the kiosk areas has for decades been a well-known gay meeting and cruising spot.
History
The roughly 404-hectare field of mobile dunes was declared a Special Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Especial) by the Canary Islands government in 1994. The sand comes from marine sediments rather than the Sahara, and the reserve brings together three distinct ecosystems: the dune field, the La Charca lagoon and a palm grove.