I was going to do a detailed review on all of the beaches around the island but thought better of it. At the end of the day (or rather during each day) if you're not spending the day by the pool where you're staying then you're off to bar number 7 down on Maspalomas beach as that's the gay beach. I will add a bit of info on the others but if you need more details on them, post in the forum or contact us and we'll answer any questions.
Maspalomas sand dunes and beach, what to expect and how to get there.
Maspalomas Beach & Sand Dunes
So the map shows you more or less where the beach is and how to get there from either 1) Walking along the shoreline starting at the lighthouse in Maspalomas or 2) Walking across the sand dunes starting at the Riu Hotel in Playa del Ingles.
The shoreline/beach option is about a 15 minute walk and through the dunes maybe 20 if you don't stop anywhere. Walking along the beach is by far the easiest, it's all flat, you get the sea-breeze if there is one so not so hot and it's fun people-watching as you go along. First part of the beach is where the families tend to stay, just past there couples & groups of friends. Just past there is bar number 4 where the nudist sunbathing starts (not compulsory but many do) and after that comes bar number 7, the gay beach (I know! where did 5 and 6 go?). Again a lot of guys decide on nude sunbathing but most don't. There's always loud dance music pumping out from the bar and a big crowd (especially at week-ends) hanging out there. Sun-beds are 2.50 for the day as are umbrellas. Bring a bottle of water or something with you too as of course no supermarket prices on the beach, only bar prices.
Getting to the beach over the sand dunes
The more interesting route though bear in mind it's not all flat and the dunes stop any breeze getting through so it can be hard work some days. You won't get lost as you can see where the ocean is but also it's a busy route and lots of regulars going across so follow them if they are heading for the water. Not all do! Part of the fun for some is getting as far as the bushes then exploring that part of the dunes as it´s a popular area for cruising, especially on the way back around 5pm. If you want to go that route then head down to the bottom of the main high street in Playa del Ingles (Avenida Tirajana) until you come to the Riu Hotel. There's an archway you can walk through to carry on down to where the dunes start. If you're getting a cab there, although the hotel is in Playa del Ingles it's actually called the Riu Palace Maspalomas.
Playa del Ingles
This is part of Maspalomas beach also, where the part sticks out in the middle is where one stops and the other starts. If being on a gay beach isn't important it will be much more convenient to stick to the beginning of Playa del Ingles beach. There's a large commercial area there with a huge choice of restaurants (including McDonalds, is that a restaurant?), bars and cafés plus some shops. The area is called Annexo II so if you're getting a taxi, ask for that.
You can basically walk across a few meters of beach and find a sun-bed or spot for your towel then when you're hungry, in 2 minutes you've got all those restaurants to choose from plus supermarkets to buy drinks and so on.
The first part of each beach has been awarded the Blue Flag though the bit in the middle isn't.
If you really do want to find a beach off the beaten track, something different to break the routine perhaps then below is a list of alternatives (only a handful, there's another 50-100 more deserted, smaller and hard to find beaches) though I have a feeling almost everyone will be happy with the two choices above.
By the way, if you're leaving the beach around 5pm and fancy a coffee then he
