Maspalomas is the southernmost point of Gran Canaria and the centre of the island's main resort strip. The defining feature is the dune field: 250 hectares of golden sand blown into ridges and hollows, meeting a long beach at the sea's edge. Behind the dunes is a small freshwater lagoon and a palm oasis — a nature reserve surrounded by hotels.
The resort runs continuously east into Playa del Inglés, so the combined beach stretches for several kilometres. San Agustín sits at the eastern end, quieter than its neighbours. The area has an enormous concentration of hotels, apartments, restaurants, and bars, and the infrastructure to match — essentially a city built for tourism, with every water sport available, large shopping centres, and a cable car to a theme park.