El Faro, Urban beach in Maspalomas, Spain.
El Faro beach stretches 320 meters along the southern coast of Gran Canaria, featuring mixed sand and pebble surfaces with clear Atlantic waters and natural dune formations nearby.
The beach takes its name from the historic Maspalomas Lighthouse, constructed between 1884 and 1889 by engineer Juan León y Castillo and operational since February 1890.
The beach is named after the Maspalomas Lighthouse, whose 56-metre tower stands at its western end; the lighthouse keepers' cottages nearby now house the Maspalomas Lighthouse Interpretation Centre, opened in 2008, with exhibits on the lighthouse and the area's history. The Faro area also holds a small shopping centre and restaurants facing the beach.
The beach operates with daily access from 10:30 to 17:00, offering 39 meters of width with nearby parking facilities and walking paths connecting to Maspalomas dunes.
The lighthouse standing beside the beach is the Maspalomas Lighthouse, finished in 1889 and still in service; its beam reaches roughly 20 nautical miles out to sea. Bathers on the sand sit directly beneath a working navigation light, and the tower's base marks the point where the beach meets the dunes.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,486 contributors worldwide.
