Authorities in Gran Canaria have stepped up surveillance of the Maspalomas Dunes after continued problems with tourists and residents entering restricted areas of the protected nature reserve, particularly at sunrise and sunset.

The Cabildo has introduced a combination of increased police patrols, drones and automated loudspeaker announcements in English, German and Spanish in an effort to protect the fragile ecosystem.

A special operation was carried out at sunset on Friday, one of the busiest times of day for visitors to the area, when ten environmental officers took part alongside the Guardia Civil's SEPRONA environmental unit, Canary Islands Police and San Bartolomé de Tirajana Local Police.

The operation also included the Local Police's drone unit, allowing officers to monitor the dunes from the air and identify people entering areas that are closed to the public.

Tourists redirected to authorised paths

The main aim of the operation was to inform tourists and residents found walking through restricted or exclusion zones and redirect them back onto the designated pathways.

Authorities say keeping visitors on the official routes is essential to minimise damage to the dunes and protect the area's sensitive plants and wildlife.

The island's Councillor for Environment, Climate, Energy and Knowledge, Raúl García Brink, stressed that protecting the reserve also depends on visitors behaving responsibly and respecting the restrictions.

Sunset has become a particular concern, with large numbers of people entering protected sections of the dunes to find vantage points for watching and photographing the sun going down.

Warnings every 15 minutes in three languages

As part of the latest measures, the Cabildo has also launched a pilot public-address system at the Mirador de las Dunas viewpoint.

Automatic announcements are being broadcast in English, German and Spanish, reminding visitors that they are in a protected natural environment and asking them to remain on authorised paths.

The announcements are activated during two periods identified as particularly busy by sensors installed as part of the Impulsa Maspalomas project: from 7:30am to 10:00am around sunrise and from 6:00pm to 9:00pm around sunset.

During these periods, approximately 1,000 people a day pass through the area.

Messages are broadcast every 15 minutes, reminding visitors to respect the restrictions, stay on the designated paths and help protect one of Gran Canaria's most distinctive natural landscapes.

The combination of increased patrols, aerial surveillance and multilingual warnings forms part of ongoing efforts to prevent uncontrolled access to the dunes while allowing visitors to enjoy the reserve without damaging the environment.