Meloneras - hmmm, very nice indeed! The more exclusive "neighbour" of Maspalomas where the newer, bigger more luxurious hotels are. Generally a middle-aged crowd and around 70% German with 30% a good mix of everyone else.
The lighthouse at Faro splits Meloneras from Maspalomas but the two are side-by-side. Definitely THE more luxurious part of Maspalomas and neighbour to Playa del Ingles, several very large hotels, some bungalows and villas already here & more on the way and all tend to be 4 or 5 star. The Costa Meloneras is a good example, 4 star, 1,136 rooms and everything you'd expect to find in a town back home you'll find in the grounds here, including it's very own beach within the complex itself. The 5-star Baobab is opposite and the largest resort hotel in Europe.
There's a main commercial center on the beach-front the "Varadero" with a nice choice of stylish restaurants, bars, cafes. Starting there and continuing along to the lighthouse a row of exclusive restaurants and shops. The shopping here is the designer-label type. Of course, being that close to Maspalomas you're walking distance from 8km of golden-sand beach and there's several smaller coves and another of those endless promenades here too.
Opposite the Varadero center is a second commercial area with perhaps fewer shops but more bars and restaurants and a small maize of walkways give this a more relaxed atmosphere and another place to try for dinner (if you´re not on half-board) or better still some nice bars there for drinks - if you not on all-inclusive - as many of the hotels there offer both options.
The funny looking huge building that looks like the roof is sliding off is the Maspalomas Congress center, home to business meetings and so on for the most part but watch out for the odd, public exhibition or occasional club night on there, invited guest DJs and space for a few thousand.
At the far end of the resort (furthest away from the dunes) Meloneras has its own beach (not that great, go the other way to Maspalomas beach and dunes) and another commercial center/area. There's the Aqua Ocean Club down there, not gay but the top nightclub on the island with a huge open-air terrace and sea views, worth a visit one night if that's your thing. Just past the beach Meloneras also has its own 18-hole golf course.
