Maspalomas and Meloneras from Arguineguín

By Terje Moy, editor · Published 25 October 2026

The Maspalomas lighthouse is about 13 km east of Arguineguín, 16 minutes by car, with Meloneras on the way. Lines 90, 33 and 39 reach the area by bus; the promenade, the dunes and the resort shops fill a day.

Maspalomas and Meloneras are the big resort area at the south tip of Gran Canaria, about 12 to 14 km east of Arguineguín. By car the lighthouse is around 13 km and 16 minutes away without traffic; Meloneras is slightly nearer. By bus, Global lines 90, 33 and 39 run from Arguineguín, and line 90 stops at the lighthouse itself. Both places are in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, not Mogán. If you are staying in Arguineguín, this is the nearest place with a full range of big shops, evening entertainment and the island's most famous dunes, which makes it a good day out and a poor reason to move.

This page is about doing it from Arguineguín: the distance, the buses, and what is worth your time. For depth on the resorts themselves, our sister site has pages on Maspalomas and Meloneras.

How far, and how long

These road distances come from a routing service without live traffic, so treat them as rough:

Real journeys are slower at busy times. There are more distances on the distances page.

Buses from Arguineguín to Maspalomas and Meloneras

Three Global lines link Arguineguín with the area, and all three stop at Casa Memo in Arguineguín:

• Line 90 (Telde, airport, Faro de Maspalomas, Arguineguín, Playa del Cura) is the one that stops at "Faro de Maspalomas" itself, next to the lighthouse, and at Meloneras: "Hospital Meloneras" and "Cruce Meloneras" are named stops. It runs roughly hourly.
• Line 33 (Playa del Inglés to Puerto de Mogán) and line 39 (Playa del Inglés to Playa del Cura) both stop at "Estación Faro de Maspalomas (andén 6)", "Hospital Meloneras" and "Cruce Meloneras", and go on through Playa del Inglés, where the stops are named after shopping centres such as Yumbo and Cita.

Global's pages list the stops in order but do not give a fare from Arguineguín, and its timetables show times at the start of the line, not at Arguineguín. As a guide, the airport to the Faro de Maspalomas fare is €4.05 on lines 66 and 90 (AENA and Global airport pages), and the airport to Arguineguín is €4.95. Line 39 runs hourly on weekdays and line 33's published timetable covers only Saturdays and holidays, so look at the page for your day. Check the time of the last bus home before you settle in for the evening. Everything about the lines, payment and the TransGC card is on the bus page, and a longer trip such as this belongs in day trips by bus.

Line 91 (the direct bus to Las Palmas and Puerto de Mogán) does not go to Maspalomas.

The Faro de Maspalomas

The lighthouse is the landmark of the whole area. According to the Cabildo, the decision to build it was taken in 1861, it took 28 years to finish and the light was first lit on 1 February 1890. It stands on the shore at the start of the dunes, with a promenade of restaurants and gift shops around it. It is an old working lighthouse, so you look at it from outside. The beach beside it and the dune reserve behind it are the draw.

The dunes: a short answer

The Maspalomas dunes are a protected Special Natural Reserve of more than 400 hectares, made up of three linked areas: palm grove, lagoon and dunes. You may walk in the open sections, but there are restricted zones. The Cabildo and the Guardia Civil have stepped up surveillance with drones and cameras, and most offences happen around sunset; in one case a fine of €600 was reported. Stay on marked routes and do not walk into fenced or signed areas. How to visit, what to wear and the best times are on the Maspalomas dunes page, with more in our sister guide to the dunes.

The Meloneras promenade

Meloneras is the newer part. It is mostly hotels and other accommodation, including large hotels in a Canarian colonial style opened from 2000 onwards. The Cabildo describes a long, winding seafront promenade that begins at the lighthouse and follows the coast to Meloneras beach, with terrace bars, spas and restaurants along the way. The beach itself is about 283 m of golden sand, pebbles and gravel with calm water, according to the Spanish tourist board, which rates occupancy as high; it lists sunshade and lounger hire, toilets and foot washing, and a Red Cross station. A golf course runs along the edge of the beach; see golf near Arguineguín for the courses.

The promenade is the easy stroll in this area. If you want to continue west along the shore towards Pasito Blanco, that walk is rougher and is described on the Pasito Blanco page.

Shopping, evenings and wet-weather days

Playa del Inglés, next to Maspalomas, has the big shopping centres; bus stops on lines 33, 39 and 90 are named Yumbo and Cita after two of them. The Cabildo says the area has "an attractive night life around the beaches", and no opening hours are published, so check venues yourself. For the water parks and zoo of this area, see water parks near Arguineguín and Palmitos Park. If you plan to visit the area for a weekend, our best day trips page suggests how it fits with the others.

Medical care in Meloneras

There is no public hospital in the south of Gran Canaria. A private hospital, Hospital San Roque Maspalomas, is in Meloneras, and the Global lines name a stop "Hospital Meloneras" in the same district. In an emergency call 112. If you use a European or UK health card, note that it covers state care only. Our health guide has the local options.