I like to rest under the shelter of the Barra de Las Canteras. This natural reef slows the momentum of the Atlantic and provides quiet nights for fish like me. At dawn, when the sun's rays colour the surface shades of pink and purple, I begin to move around the bay and peck at algae with my parrot's beak. At this hour, the early birds of the human variety also begin to make their way into the sea, splashing and swimming as if they were fish themselves.

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So, you think you know all there is to know about Maspalomas, do you? Well, for a start, Maspalomas is so much more than just a beach. The sands of this paradise in the south of Gran Canaria hide a multitude of histories and curiosities.

Manolo the Dangerous guides his boat into the clear waters. Nearby, on the sand, you’ll see people walking, with some taking their first swim of the day. Whilst others breakfast on one of the promenade’s terraces. It’s another day at Las Canteras beach.