The famous sand dunes of Playa de Maspalomas on the south coast of the island of Gran Canaria. The roughly 1000 acre area has been a protected nature reserve for more than a century and attracts tourists to the island. This type of crescent-shaped dune is known as a Barchan dune. The Atlantic Ocean is visible at the top of this image. Gran Canaria is the second most populous of the Canary Islands, a group of seven main islands, and a number of smaller islets, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Morocco. The Canaries are known as autonomous communities of Spain and their economies are based largely on tourism.