Maspalomas

For a day trip we took the intercity bus to the other side of the island which boasts a climate that’s dryer, warmer, and definitely more desert like than our base in Las Palmas.

We were dropped off near the landmark Rui hotel (link) and walked through the arch to get our first view of the famous Maspalomas dunes. Similar to what you’d find at California’s central coasts Montana de Oro, the view was from another world. Huge sand dunes leading to the bright blue ocean in the distance. We shed our shoes and set out on a hike through the dunes to the beach. Thankfully, this being a tourist Mecca, we were met after a dusty hike with a beach bar! After a rejuvenating cervesa and sangria we were refreshed enough to walk along the beach to town.

This is definitely the place for tourists and the area was packed with vacationers from the rainy or frozen north.

We’ll keep this in mind for cooler days at home and may jump down here again for some more exploration.