One of the main measures demanded during the demonstration on April 20th on all the islands of the Archipelago will become a reality this summer. The Masca ravine, located in the Rural Park of Teno, and its pier, will be the first protected area in Tenerife to implement an “ecotax” on the Island for non-resident tourists. It will be a pilot project starting in summer along with improvements in mobility and security.
Visits to the Masca ravine will be limited to a maximum of 275 people per day, something “necessary” for the preservation and protection of this area, meaning that around 100,000 people per year will be able to explore the site, as stated by the island’s president, Rosa Dávila.
This measure, resulting from the island’s initiative to charge non-residents for accessing natural spaces, comes after signing a collaboration agreement between the Tenerife Island Council and Buenavista City Council, as well as the latter with the Puerto de Santa Cruz, for managing the Masca cove’s pier. The Island Council and City Council have also agreed to extend the hours of environmental guards, which in summer will be from 08:00 to 20:00.
The agreement would bring about an improvement in services and an increase in the ravine’s security, sensitive from an environmental perspective, as well as the reopening of the pier through which access is gained, which has been closed since 2018 and will reopen to the public in summer 2024. Up to four boats including kayaks and canoes will be allowed to anchor at the mouth of the cove.
“Adaptation and Improvement of the Masca Beach Pier” / Enrique Guillermo Pérez
Tenerife’s First Ecotax
Thus, the Masca ravine becomes the first protected area in Tenerife to implement the eco-tax this summer, which in turn will allow for a “first trial” to implement the Island Council’s ecotax in protected natural spaces from January 1, 2025 onwards.
Visits can be made through active tourism companies or independently, and will be limited to 275 people per day, a restriction that will be complemented by a bus service to ease access and traffic issues that arise through public companies like Tragsa.
Preventing Rescues and Evacuations
The pier is “key” to ensuring the safety of tourist, environmental, and sports activities in the area, and its opening will not only contribute to controlling one-way traffic but also eliminate the current need to climb the ravine as a return journey.
Rescue in Masca / 112 Canarias
This situation would also enhance the safety of the natural space, where numerous rescues and evacuations of visitors occur.
Currently, the Tenerife Island Council is working on analysing the economic impact of this measure, therefore the cost of access has not yet been determined, but it has been confirmed that the fee will include both the trek through the ravine and the use of the pier.
