As mentioned, we never strayed too far from the hotel: partly because we were enjoying it so much; and partly because the main attraction in the area is practically on the doorstep. It’s a few minutes walk to the edge of the dunes, mostly bypassing the more commercial stretch of coastline.




Our first excursion taught us a healthy respect for the sands. It’s generally advised to keep away entirely in the early afternoon, as they’ll be too hot underfoot. But even at 11am we found it challenging – with both the shore and the coastpath in sight, it’s easy to mistake a short detour for a quick one. In reality, with the sands shifting under your feet plus the constant ascent and descent of the undulating dunes, you need to make sure you’re adequately prepared with viable footwear, some water and a hat. Or at least this genetic Scotsman does…

We quickly learnt to shift our visits to the edges of the day, with an early start being best as the heat can linger well into the evening. Heading down to watch the sunset one morning was a particular treat!




Similarly, we hired bikes from the hotel to make an 8am start for a cycle to the Maspalomas lighthouse. Although only about 5k from the hotel as the crow flies, we put in closer to 9 each way with a mostly inland – and surprisingly hilly – route. But there was a good amount of scenery at each end, and even the on-road portion turned out to be pleasant. Gran Canarian drivers seem to be very considerate of cyclists, leaving plenty of space or simply hanging back when there’s little room to pass; plus the road surfaces were good. Although I was dealing with being on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, and only had a hire bike, it felt easier than my usual commute! Although the pace was rather more leisurely, taking most of an hour each way.





(As usual, I have far more photos than there is space to easily share here; there’s a gallery in higher resolution on my blog, if you're interested.)