What to do · Maspalomas Dunes and the South of Gran Canaria
Birds at the Charca de Maspalomas and the palm grove
Information
- Price
- Self-guided · free
- Duration
- 45 min
- Season
- All year; more species during the autumn and spring passages
- Who it's for
- Everyone; flat and short
The Charca is the brackish lagoon left where the Fataga ravine meets the beach, about two hundred metres from the Maspalomas Lighthouse. It is full of tamarisks and reeds, and a boardwalk runs along its western edge. It forms part of the Maspalomas Dunes Special Nature Reserve, with the dune field and the palm grove.
Resident herons and passing visitors
According to the Canary Islands Government, up to 24 species of bird can be seen here, resident and migratory. Grey herons and little egrets are usually here all year, and it is hard not to see one standing still at the water's edge. Sanderlings scurry along the shore, and moorhens and coots swim on the water, with yellow-legged gulls around. Every so often an osprey or a Barbary falcon appears; do not count on them, but look at the sky. Turismo de Gran Canaria describes it as a protected area where many migratory birds rest, so the autumn and spring passages bring more variety.
The boardwalk on the west edge
The place to look from is the boardwalk on the west side, the one nearest the Lighthouse: it is the best spot for photographing and for using binoculars. Walk it slowly and without leaving it. The birds are used to people passing, but not to being approached. Behind the lagoon is the palm grove, with the only serious shade in this part of the reserve. Allow about three quarters of an hour at a relaxed pace, longer if you sit and wait.
What not to do in the reserve
Do not feed the animals and take all your rubbish with you, cigarette butts included: scraps attract rats and feral cats, which attack the local wildlife. Do not pull up plants, take stones or leave the marked paths. If you find an injured animal, call 112.
From the Lighthouse square
By car, take the GC-1 south to exit 46, and then the avenidas Touroperador Tui and Cristóbal Colón to the Lighthouse square, about 5 km. By bus, the Global lines that end at the Lighthouse drop you a few steps away. From the square it is about two hundred metres on foot. It makes a good first stop before crossing the dunes or walking the shoreline to Playa del Inglés, and on the way back you have the Lighthouse in the same square.
Tips
- Go early First thing there is more bird activity and fewer people on the boardwalk.
- Binoculars A small pair is enough to tell herons, egrets and waders on the shore.
- Autumn and spring These are the passage months, when migratory birds are added.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Charca de Maspalomas?
Beside the Lighthouse, about two hundred metres away, between the beach and the palm grove.
Do I have to pay?
No. It is a free walk along the boardwalk.
What birds can be seen?
Grey herons and egrets almost always; also sanderlings, gulls, moorhens and coots, and sometimes an osprey.
Can I go with a pushchair?
The boardwalk on the west edge is flat; the access from the Lighthouse promenade is too.
Can I feed the birds?
No. It is prohibited in the reserve and it attracts rats and cats.
As a family
