Furious Canary Islands locals stage protest against controversial Tenerife tourist project

Furious locals committed to preventing the construction of a major tourist project underway in the Canary Islands have announced their latest action, with plans to march through the capital city of Tenerife. The protest, organised by the Asamblea Reivindicativa Canaria, will begin at 11am in Plaza Weyler, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on Sunday (April 26), with demonstrators set to pass key government buildings including the Canary Islands Parliament, the Tenerife Cabildo and the regional Government Presidency.

The action aims to halt the controversial Cuna del Alma tourist development near the city of Adeje and the popular Playa de las Américas resort on the southwestern coast. It seeks to transform El Puetito’s beautiful bay into a luxurious, intimate resort with 3,602 beds for visitors at a total cost of about £36million. However, critics have been denouncing the project since its announcement, arguing that it will create a small town and have a severe impact on the local ecology.

This latest action follows a recent court decision ordering a precautionary suspension of work on one section of the site. The ruling affects around 27,000 square feet (2,500sqm) within a protected coastal zone.

Campaign organisers have described the decision as “a small but significant victory”, particularly as both the project developer and the Canary Islands Government’s Directorate General for Coasts are now under investigation.

However, they warn that construction continues at pace across the rest of the large-scale tourist development, potentially causing irreversible environmental damage, they claim. The project is accused of destroying populations of the protected endemic plant species viborina triste (Echium triste).

The group is calling for the area to be preserved and transformed into a heritage site museum dedicated to the history and natural environment of Tenerife. They argue the location is of unique importance due to its Guanche archaeological remains, endemic plant life, marine species, and distinctive geological features.

In a statement, the organisers said local people have had enough of being “overlooked, sold out, and misled”, urging immediate action to stop what they describe as an unsustainable and damaging project, Canarian Weekly reported.

Activists noted that, despite ongoing debate, measures such as a tourist eco-tax, already common in many major destinations worldwide, have yet to be introduced in the Canary Islands.

The Cuna del Alma project has become a focal point for mass protests and other extreme forms of activism. These demonstrations form part of a broader movement called “Canarias tiene un límite” (“The Canary Islands have a limit”), which opposes the current tourism model, as residents argue that it is destroying Tenerife’s natural resources and making life unaffordable. In April 2024, the tension reached a peak when members of the activist group Canarias Se Agota (“The Canaries are Running Out”) launched a 19-day hunger strike.

In October, Greenpeace listed Cuna del Alma as one of its 12 major threats to biodiversity in Spain, accusing the project of “ecocide” and criticising the Government’s complicity.

Cuna del Alma’s developer, Segunda Casa Adeje has said it has an “eco-manifest”, which vows to protect and restore the area’s natural environment.

Its website reads: “We believe in a tourism model that applies itself in harmony with its surroundings. Respectful with its environment, sustainable, to be enjoyed by present and future generations.

“We are passionate about Tenerife, its people, its volcanic landscape and amazing contrasts. We will prioritize local products and put its people first, creating around 750 new jobs in the process. We will always follow environmental focused planning and protect biodiversity. Integration is part of our DNA. We are aiming at restoring a natural balance, reviving a landscape damaged by humans while applying low-density architecture at the same time.

“We value the sea and its contribution to life and beauty. We are striving to include a recovery programme to restore the original beach, preserve the local marine environment, and protect the ‘boba’ turtle. We want our social and environmental commitments to become our legacy, enjoyed by generations to come. Setting a benchmark for sustainability by building with ecological materials, based on international practices.”

The Express has contacted Segunda Casa Adeje for comment.