David had surprised us with the holiday back in February, and once the excitement settled, the research began.
Sat there, Davids arms wrapped around me, him casually placing football bets because ALL football matters… not just Liverpool games.
Me, doom scrolling TikTok and passing it off as research.
I find the best places to visit on TikTok. You get real people’s opinions and a proprt sense of what it is.
Instagram is very magazine-y… but TikTok, It’s raw and I love that.
Searching for attractions in Gran Canaria on this occasion… attractions of the nature type.
I am a sucker for a natural attraction!
I just feel at home in nature, especially if there is a stream, waterfall, lake… or even the sea. Get me to the water… just not in it!
Fun fact; I can’t swim! 😅
Scrolling…
I come across the Dunes and thought… ‘Oooooo, that looks like something out of The Mummy.’
Maybe we will find some historical caves underneath.
Waking up the morning of our trip out, the Calima had finally cleared giving way to what turned out to be the hottest day… which we were soon to find out!
A Calima, a hot dusty sandstorm that blows in from the Sahara, had been keeping temperatures fairly warm.
The day it finally cleared.
Hottest day of the trip!
We were probably all a little grumpy too, from the previous late nights and cocktails on tap… literally.
We were pulling our own pints and cocktails in a slushy style machine. Smart… but certainly not clever.
I’d already prepped our clothes and bags, so not to feel rushed, you know how it is trying to get everyone ready for a day out.
It’s always an hour after you plan to leave you actually get gone.
Prepping is key with a three-year-old terror tot.
We obviously had to get our three-course breakfast, Evelyn and Dominic’s favourite meal apparently.
Multiple cereals, pancakes, fruit, bacon, eggs and beans.
I’m so lucky to have 2 good eaters really.
Then we were off, after a deliberation on taxi or walk.
“Let’s walk” I say
“It’s only half an hour”
HA! and the rest love!
4km later we arrive…
AT THE START of the Dunes trail.
Which was another 2.5 km.
It’s safe to say the kids were not happy.
We start down the trail.
Now there were few pathways to choose from. Our aim was to walk along the green trail to the viewing point.
THAT WAS THE AIM!…
It was not how it went down though.
The kids already crying that it was too hot and their feet are going to “fall off”.
Relentless in their admissions that they were dying from walking and starvation.
Starvation… after their three-course breaky, bear in mind!
After trudging on at a snail pace for what felt like an hour (it was in fact about 15 minutes), but you know time seems to drag when you have moaning myrtles.
We come across an excursion ride of camels.
And honestly, It made me so sad.
They were all roped together, carrying tourists. Not one person seemed to see the distress in those animals. It broke my heart but I stayed silent.
The kids had never seen a camel before, and although it could have been a teachable moment, they were so excited… I wouldn’t ruin the moment for them.
The distraction from the camels led us to completely lose our sense of direction…
And we ended up on the longer path.
Of course we did!
It was midday at this point, sun beaming on us.
AND I’m ginger remember… SO…
BREAKTIME!
I practically shoved the kids and David under the shade of some palm trees and took a quick walk up the next big dune, to just gauge how much further to the “pretty dunes”.
IT WAS FAR!
I took a long moment up there, just taking it all in.
The views which were magnificent. It was so quiet… like I actually could hear myself think. Bliss!
…I ran back to tell the gang we were calling it quits.
Quitting was not an option apparently.
The kids had made me their very own little sandcastle dunes to apologise for being grumpy and to prove they were having a good time 🧐
So after another 15 mins of walking, also stopping to take some pictures of the Dunes from the bottom, we finally reach the destination.
HURRAY!!
Where we ended up though?
A huge surprise…
Nudist beach central!
“Oh sh*t, David hide Evelyn’s eyes!”
I have to whisper rather loudly after seeing a willy… sporting a few gold chains!
The beauty of my innocent children… and very luckily for us, the kids didn’t even register what were going on.
There were multiple… and I mean 1:4 ratio of nudist to swimwear people walking around or sunbathing.
At least they never openly pointed at a penis or boobies…
Small wins.
Our aim now?
Water from the cafe.
Ice cream to divert the kid’s attention.
And a swift exit plan up the beach away nudist central.
The day turning out to be the hottest of the trip, was not on our POA.
And not knowing what was really at the end of the Dunes trail, we only had trainers.
It was hot, too hot for shoes…
but also the sand was hot, too hot to walk.
Our only option?
Walking along the shallow tide.
Dominic, after a few days in the pool, now fully believed he was a shark.
He ran a little ahead, it seemed safe enough…
until it wasn’t!
A small wave, barely ankle deep, swept him off his feet and he rolled straight into the wave. I scream.
Full panic mode.
I’m terrified of the water and I can’t swim, so in my head this was instantly catastrophic.
David and a stranger were closer and get to him first. Thankfully, he was absolutely fine.
But still… you just never know with water.
It will always win if you’re not careful enough.
Carrying on up the beach, the only way off the nudist beach… unless we fancied another 4k walk back through the dunes.
No thanks.
We hit ANOTHER obstacle.
A break in the sand, where the sea cut through into another section of water.
I was having a full internal anxiety attack!
The only way across, to our beautiful beautiful taxi just 200 yards away…
Was through it.
And judging everyone else crossing?
Chest height.
We had to walk through this water verge for at least 15 feet… chest deep.
I cannot stress enough how frightened I was. The sea just frightens me.
It took me 10 mins to psych myself up.
David had to go over first carrying Evelyn… then come back for me, Dominic and the bag.
And do you know what?
I fricken did it though!
I was pretty proud of myself to be honest.
Getting off the beach and washing our feet and knowing that just round the corner was our saviour on wheels!…
Taxi!
Honestly, the relief we all felt getting in the taxi and heading back to our hotel, was nothing short of heaven.
The kids’ spirits instantly, knowing they were going to be greeted by an open buffet… and still have time for the pool.
If I ever return to explore Mas Palomas Dunes again, at least now I’ll know what not to do when you’ve got kids with you.
Was it worth it after all that?…
AND YES!
Yes, it absolutely was.
Because it’s these memories… the ones where everything goes slightly (or massively) wrong on family days out…
That we’ll look back and laugh about.
And I genuinely cannot wait for the day I remind the kids we accidentally took them to a nudist beach…
All because Mum wanted to look at some sand hills.
