The golden sand of Dunas de Maspalomas is a sort of desert by the sea with incredible views of the ocean, an ideal place to go exploring. If you don’t feel like covering the 6km expanse on foot then you can take a camel ride across the dunes for that authentic desert experience. A little further inland, you and the family can cool off at Aqualand Maspalomas, a huge waterpark that’s home to over 30 crazy slides and flumes. The lighthouse at Boulevard El Faro is Maspalomas’ standout landmark. It’s attached to a historic keeper’s cottage and is surrounded by beautiful gardens; an ideal place to take a step back into Gran Canaria’s past. It’s also right next door to the Boulevard, home to plenty of designer shops and amazing restaurants. Rest assured there’s so much to see and do on a Maspalomas holiday.

A melting pot of different culinary influences, Maspalomas takes its cues from Spanish, African and Caribbean cuisine. So expect to enjoy plenty of fresh fried fish, bold red wines and refreshing cold beers, all served up with typical island charm. Boulevard El Faro is where it’s at for great al fresco dining on your Maspalomas holiday, with a choice of many different types of restaurants and bars. There’s nothing better than tucking into tapas, paella and sangria in full view of the lighthouse and sand dunes beyond. Seek out some papas arrugadas, the local delicacy that is roasted potatoes drizzled in a chili, pepper and garlic sauce.

With its endless and quiet expanses of sand, warm seas and great food, Maspalomas holidays are pretty much the ideal environment for a family trip. Add to that the chance to go dolphin watching on a catamaran, hurtling down water slides at Aqualand Maspalomas and going camel riding across the dunes, and you’ve got the perfect place for families both young and old to enjoy amazing adventures in beautiful surroundings.

When you think of an adventure holiday in Maspalomas you immediately think of kite surfing across rolling seas, or trekking across sand dunes, but you should also consider the thrill of deep-sea fishing for tuna, barracuda and swordfish, or the white-knuckle rides of Holiday World. There’s even a chance for a spot of scuba diving or paragliding in Maspalomas, meaning adventure lovers aren’t short of things to enjoy here.

The temperature on Gran Canaria sits in the mid-20s for most of the year, meaning a holiday in Maspalomas revolves pretty heavily around days spent at the beach. Here you’ll get an opportunity to walk to the historic lighthouse, go bird watching or simply to relax in the sun and do a spot of swimming. There’s plenty for watersports lovers to enjoy about Maspalomas too, with the rolling waves an ideal place to go windsurfing or kitesurfing. Paddle boarding is also popular in the more sheltered parts of the beach.

Whilst Gran Canaria’s beating nightlife heart is in the neighbouring town of Playa del Ingles, Maspalomas holidays certainly know how to do after dark. Dunes & Tunes is a buzzing Irish bar where live entertainment, cold Guinness and a warm welcome are standard. Garbo’s is home to an incredible gala cabaret show, a chandelier-lit performance room and delicious food, all accompanied by plentiful cold beer of course. It’s one of Gran Canaria’s best dinner show experiences and is right in the heart of Maspalomas.

Be it taking a trip aboard a traditional wooden sailing vessel, relaxing together in the sun as a cool ocean breeze passes over you, or tucking into a delicious plate of tapas on a beachfront restaurant at sunset, there’s not a lot about Maspalomas holidays that doesn’t say ‘romantic’. By day you can go strolling through the town’s quaint streets, hunting out designer bargains, stopping in local bars for a cold drink, or explore hidden coves and quiet stretches of beach on the sand dunes. To truly relax and unwind, treat yourselves to a spot of thalassotherapy, a 19th century form of pampering involving massages, salt water plunge pools and body wraps. Bliss!

You can’t talk about Maspalomas culture without mentioning Carnival! This weeklong shindig of costumes, music and dancing takes place in nearby Playa Del Ingles, but draws spectators from far and wide. Expect to witness a Rio-style parade of sound and colour, comedy shows, drag queens and a spectacular closing night of raucous celebrations that goes on until the early hours. It’s truly a  

sight to behold and the undoubted highlight of a cultural holiday to Maspalomas.