Camel Riding In Maspalomas Dunes

I am deeply disturbed, heartbroken and outraged by what I witnessed today during this camel ride in Maspalomas. The animals are in an absolutely appalling condition. Each one is carrying two heavy metal seats. They are fitted with metal muzzles that appear to restrict their breathing. They are tied together so tightly that they cannot even turn or lower their heads freely. Throughout the entire ride, I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and disgust with myself for agreeing to take part in this activity. I regretted it from the very beginning until the very end. On one side, there are miserable animals, exhausted, deprived of their freedom and even the ability to move naturally. On the other, there are happy, smiling tourists taking photographs and enjoying their little adventure, seemingly completely oblivious to the suffering of the animals carrying them. How can anyone still call this entertainment? This is not an attraction. It is animal suffering turned into a tourist spectacle. I feel ashamed that we, as human beings, continue to pay for this, encourage it and turn a blind eye to the suffering of defenceless living creatures. The more I get to know people, the more I love animals. I deeply regret having contributed to this activity, even unintentionally. Please don’t make the same mistake. Think before you pay for this experience. Behind your holiday photos are living animals who have no choice.

Good experience. When you arrive if you book through Trip Advisor they give you a time, which was an hour later. There is an undercover area you can sit and wait. Camel experience was good and enjoyable.

Nice experience, very helpful staff (expect the one who checked us in). Make sure to arrive early so the waiting time won’t be too long.

Wear plenty of sun cream .No shade in the desert. Had a fun experience . You can buy a photo at the end which is 5 euros, which I think is a fair price.

You get put into groups when you arrive for the camel ride but there is a place to sit with vending maccies

Lovely ride through the dunes. My 16 year old absolutely loves camels so he was happy. Staff so friendly and even takes photos for you with your phone.

This was different but I did feel misleading as this wasnt in the sun dones. Also although we booking and got there for 10am we had to go back at 12.15

Unusual but enjoyable activity for the family. Get there early to keep wait times to a minimum as it’s first come basis with rides starting every 30 mins.

Went with friends last week. Instant regret the moment we got there, one of our party cried. The camels are tied together so closely their heads are touching the bum of the one in front. The camels looked so sad. Even though we had an arrival time slot you still have to then queue, we had to wait a further hour and 10 minutes. We were close to leaving and stupidly we continued with it as we had pre paid anyway so felt walking out wouldn’t impact the business as they had our money already. The camels appeared tired and overworked with whip scars on their legs (not sure how this company meets animal welfare standards) the men walking alongside the vast row of camels were picking up sticks and whipping the camels to keep them moving. I got upset and made it known I was watching him and didn’t approve of what he was doing to the camel in front of me. I feel massively guilty for contributing to this animal abuse. Please learn from my experience and don’t go.

Great camel ride experience! Everything was well organized and the staff were friendly. The ride itself was enjoyable and worth doing. My only advice is to go early in the morning, as later in the day you may have to wait a while for your turn.

Excellent experience I had with my husband, it was a great day.

I went by myself and had a great time, such a unique experience and staff were all lovely. I also went in the morning at 9, I think it’s more enjoyable before the midday heat!

Amazing experience. Staff very helpful and reassuring. Wear clothing that covers shoulders as sun very hot in the dunes. Second ride for us and would definately come back again.

Very nice staff , camel ride very organized Cute picture for a souvenir. Good views of mountains. Would recommend.

Was great. Bit of a wait and would prefer a prebooked time slot. Around an hours wait. Camels looked well looked after and guides were great.

Awful! Made a mistake of not reading the reviews. Camels are tied way too close to each other and the metal muzzle should not be allowed! Some huge tourist squeezed into the seats, no attempts made on checking the weight restrictions. Also you will be told to come back in 90 mins or so as can’t book slots. All in all I wish I didn’t book this as much as I thought will be fun for my daughter. DO NOT BOOK!

Great! Highly recommend this one. So fun and informative. I would do it again - highly recommend!!!! Get there early. So you can make it and don’t have to wait for the first group to come Back.

Our 5 year old loved this so much that we went twice! A lovely 30 minute walk round the sand dunes. There is plenty of shaded space to wait. It is worth going early (around 9am) to avoid a long wait.

Great fun, long enough to enjoy and not something you get to do every day! Staff were friendly and there was a toilet on site. Would have been good to have been able to book a time slot in advance, but knowing that in advance meant we went prepared with a picnic to have whilst we waited for our turn. Would def recommend the experience.

We thought the ride was great! Looked like we were riding camels through the Sahara. Not a comfortable ride, but what would you expect. All the personnel working the experience were great - hats off to them! Just make sure you cover up or wear sunscreen. It was a nice sunny day, not hot, and a little windy which fooled me. You can buy a head covering for 5 Euros that helps cover up and look more authentic for pictures! Oh yeah, the guide was great in taking pictures and video with your camera during the ride. After the ride, we took a walk on the promenade to the light house where you can spend some beach time or get something to eat.

Sedate stroll around the dunes- lovely. Recommend going early before it gets too hot! We both enjoyed this

Not what I expected. My son booked this ,you were sat either side of the camel and when going round the trail we noticed what looked like whip marks on the back of the camels legs some fresh some not fresh ,they had what looked like handmade chicken wire type muzzles .I worry for the camels ,left there upset.

Please avoid this poor experience. The camels appear to be exhausted, they grunt with weight of carrying the tourists and have their mouths wired shut but with wiring that is ill fitting around their mouths, whip marks across their back lags is visible, not worth the money for a short walk across the sand tied in a line with 10 other camels.

It was nice and relaxing and a lovely way to see the dunes. The guides were lovely and asked if we would like pictures taken as a keepsake.

I enjoyed the walk over the sand dunes to the camels. In the time we waited for a ride, we talked to people and traded places to go to. The camel ride was fun, especially for families with kids.

It's obvious the camels are not cared for. Lots of grunting and puffing and they some didn't want to get up to carry heavy tourists on their back. They get whipped if they don't obey and they have to wear metal muzzles and mouthpiece. I sensed this felt like torture to them. There's a lady who runs the operation and she is rude and bossy, just the type you'd expect to run such a sad camel train. Perhaps she's got nothing better in her life to do do than this? Take my recommendation, save your money and do something with more welfare, this just isn't it. The only positive is the scenery but not worth the suffering. I left with a heavy heart.

Nice camel ride through the dunes. The workers were kind and we didn’t have to wait long. Enjoyed it!

The camels were easygoing and the staff were friendly. Fair amount of camels to accommodate for a large amount of people. Arrived around 11am and the wait time was 30mins. A nice 30min camel ride, although the area was not very scenic.

If I could I would give ZERO stars. This is animal abuse. We came to look at the camels, but got an unpleasant surprise. As we arrived I group of people were going to ride the camels. One of the camels were clearly tired and didn't want to stand up. Still, even when the camel screamed they tried to force him to stand with two heavy people on each side. When the camel still refuses and screamed in probably pain, they started hitting the camel hard until he obeyed. The camels clearly have it bad, forced to wear horrible saddles and painful mouths covers all day while they're forced to walk long distances with people on their backs, probably little water and care. Don't go if you are just a little human.

Good, nice well run experience and the camels are calm and easy to ride. The staff were lovely and helpful as well. They also spoke good English

Nice experience wird animals . Better to come early in der morning. At about 11 or 12 o' clock You might have to wait 20 minutes. But it doesn't matter that much. It 'll be worth it.

100% worth doing and great value for money! Our camel José was a great camel. Can only wish the route was a little longer !

Went early so we wouldn’t need to wait in line. They were supposed to start at 9am. Didn’t get going until almost 9:45am. Disorganized

We parked in the large municipal parking building that Google Maps assured us was 5 minutes walk from the camels. This is not true. It is not possible to walk directly. Instead it is about a 30 minute walk up the pedestrian sidewalk past the pond on the edge of the dunes. Once on site we waited about 25 minutes and then about 15 couples were seated on the camels, who seemed well treated and calm, one guest in a chair on each side of the hump. The camels had loose muzzles on but could still chew sticks and branches. Weights were used to equalize the load for couples of differing weights. Three guides led the camels on a half hour walk on a sandy path on the edge of the Maspalomas Dunes. At first the camel's gait seemed irregular but we got used to it. Camels have lived on Gran Canaria for centuries and were used for agriculture and transport and now for tourism. A unique experience!

We enjoyed this experience, the 45 minute ride is well worth the €18.00 ticket price, however I do worry for the camels. They all looked exhausted, and very lethargic. I would very much like to see how they are cared for when the visitors are not there.

Loved this trip well organised. Very relaxing trip. Lovely people and camels 🐪 too. Camels are well looked after. Was so easy to get on and off.

Fun in a quirky way. Checked off our bucket list. They call the Camies. They looked tired and sad. I don’t know how well they are cared for

We booked online for 11 am but had to wait until 13:40 before our turn. There is shade and a vending machine, that’s all. There is a 15 min walk from the paid parking to the park on very unkept road. All in all it was a poor day of our holiday. The camel ride is good, but unfortunately the waiting let it down.

Arrive early for this tour to avoid waiting around we got there 8:30 and was on the first tour. The tour itself is what you’d expect I have read reviews about the conditions for the camels they seemed well looked after to me.

Very well organised, we got there early and only waited about 40 minutes to get on. Staff very helpful and good with the kids. Even used our phones for photos of us on the camels. The on ride photo was lovely and a bargain at 5 euro!! Great experience would definitely recommend. 10/10

A really good experience, something different. We really enjoyed it, it was fun & the camels seemed to be well kept & well looked after.

Had the best time, the camels are well looked after and the staff were helpful and entertaining. Once you’re up !!! It was relaxing wandering through the reserve Well worth a visit for all ages

Riding on a camel and viewing the beautiful Mespaloma Dunes was amazing! It was a wonderful bonding experience with nature and its fascinating creatures, my family and fellow travellers.

It was very organised and the camels are well looked after. I was on Sambuca who was lovely. What an amazing experience

I reget going. I am by no means a camel expert but my partner and I both came away with a sour taste in our mouths that these conditions did not favour the animals.

I thought it would be a cool experience. I cried the whole way around. The camels have wire around there mouths. They go for a 30min walk in the Dunes and rest for 15mins a.d go again....this happens all day long. Our camels was tired. They hit him with a stick amd he was pulled along. Camels were visibly upset. I don't knowhow people do this for entertainment...I didn't realise how badly they looked and were treated. I felt sick to my stomach...so sad for these beautiful animals. They need to take the cages off the mouths and give them longer rests if they are insisting to continue with this

What a way to get up and close to these amazing animals. It was a really enjoyable ride and as I travelled alone, sandbags were added to counter balance my weight. It only costs around 18 Euros per person and not only do you travel through the amazing dunes but you can also see the distant mountains. I would advise you to pre-book this activity as it is very busy and great fun. This is an excellent experience from start to finish and you even get to stroke the camels up closely so this is one holiday activity I would highly recommend.

Poor camels are badly neglected. Metal muzzles are awful some camels had face, eye and nostrils injuries, cut ears , one camel had an open wound with flies investing it. Everything about this experience was awful . These animals need serious attention

What an incredible experience to celebrate our 25th anniversary together. Staff are so friendly, very knowledgeable and take care of camels so well. Camels very well behaved (even got a selfie with jamie the camel) easy to find and a great area to explore