# Walk through the Maspalomas Dunes on the marked trail

What to do en Maspalomas Dunes and the South of Gran Canaria · Maspalomas Dunes and the South of Gran Canaria

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/maspalomas-dunes/things-to-do/maspalomas-dunes-walk · Revisado: 2026-11-13

- Duración: 2 h 30
- Temporada: All year; in summer, first thing or at sunset
- Para quién: Families and anyone who can walk on sand

Walk · 1 h 30 to 3 h · Free · Families with children who can cope with sand

You cross the Maspalomas dune field on foot, more than 400 hectares of sand that the wind moves every day, between Playa del Inglés and the Lighthouse. It is a special nature reserve: you walk only on the marked trail and its branches, without leaving the stakes.
Where to enter
There are two convenient entrances. The upper one is the dunes viewpoint, beside the Hotel Riu Palace, at the end of the Costa Canaria promenade in Playa del Inglés: from there you see the whole dune field and go down onto the sand. The lower one is Maspalomas beach itself, from the Lighthouse or from the Charca, and you climb towards the interior. The trail crosses the different types of dune and has several branches; number three goes down to Maspalomas beach. Between Playa del Inglés and the Maspalomas Oasis it is about three kilometres.
How long it takes
Allow an hour and a half to three hours, depending on how much you stop and whether you return along the shoreline. Walking on soft sand is twice as tiring as on tarmac: with children, do only the descent from the viewpoint to the beach and return along the shore towards the Lighthouse.
When to go
All year. The best time is early, when the sand is not yet burning and the wind has not wiped out the night's tracks, or late in the day, with low light and long shadows over the crests. In summer avoid midday: there is not a scrap of shade.
Reserve rules
The Canary Islands Government asks you to stay on the marked trails and obey the signs, because leaving them damages the vegetation and can be dangerous. Do not feed the animals, pick plants, move stones or build stone towers, take all your rubbish with you, cigarette butts included, and do not light fires. No loud music or shouting either. In strong wind the sand flies at face height: sunglasses and something to cover your mouth.

## Cómo llegar y contacto

- Coordenadas: 27.7439, -15.5829

## Cerca de aquí

- [Hotel Riu Palace Maspalomas](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/maspalomas-dunes/where-to-stay/riu-palace-maspalomas-hotel), a 610 m
- [Maspalomas beach, from the Lighthouse to Playa del Inglés along the shore](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/maspalomas-dunes/things-to-do/maspalomas-beach-walk-lighthouse-to-playa-del-ingles), a 795 m
- [Birds at the Charca de Maspalomas and the palm grove](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/maspalomas-dunes/things-to-do/maspalomas-lagoon-birdwatching), a 1.3 km
- [Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/maspalomas-dunes/where-to-stay/seaside-grand-hotel-residencia-maspalomas), a 1.5 km
- [Hotel Faro, a Lopesan Collection Hotel](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/maspalomas-dunes/where-to-stay/hotel-faro-lopesan-collection-maspalomas), a 1.8 km
- [Maspalomas Lighthouse and its ethnographic centre](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/maspalomas-dunes/things-to-do/maspalomas-lighthouse-ethnographic-centre), a 1.8 km
- [La Palmera Sur](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/maspalomas-dunes/where-to-eat/la-palmera-sur-playa-del-ingles), a 2.0 km
- [La Tapita Los Jose's](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/maspalomas-dunes/where-to-eat/la-tapita-los-joses-san-fernando), a 2.9 km

## Consejos

### Footwear
Barefoot is fine first thing; at midday the sand burns. Sandals you can slip off are the most practical.

### Water
Bring at least a litre per person. Inside the dunes there are no services; on the beach there are kiosks from 10:30 to 18:00.

### Combine it with the Charca
If you enter by the Lighthouse, the Charca and the palm grove are two hundred metres away.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Can I walk through the Maspalomas dunes?
Yes, but only on the marked trail and its branches. The rest of the reserve is closed so that the dune and its vegetation are preserved.

### Does it cost anything?
No. The reserve is free to enter along its trails.

### Which is the best entrance?
The viewpoint beside the Hotel Riu Palace, in Playa del Inglés, to see the dune field from above; the beach, from the Lighthouse, if you want to start with the Charca.

### Is it a good idea with children?
Yes, a short stretch and outside midday. Bring water and a cap for everyone.

Destino: [Maspalomas Dunes and the South of Gran Canaria](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/maspalomas-dunes.md)