The Adeje Town Council has called for the expansion of the La Caleta-Diego Hernández Site of Scientific Interest, an ecologically valuable coastal area in southern Tenerife. The proposal, supported by all municipal groups except Vox, aims to enhance protections for an area facing significant urban, tourist, and recreational pressures.
The council requests the Government of the Canary Islands and the Tenerife Cabildo, in coordination with the council, to undertake necessary technical, environmental, urban, and legal studies to extend the protected area’s boundaries. Currently, the Site of Scientific Interest covers 78.3 hectares, all designated as an Area of Ecological Sensitivity.
This initiative seeks not only increased oversight and occasional clean-ups but aims for a more comprehensive protection strategy encompassing adjacent lands that, despite past human impact, are no longer developed or have potential for ecological restoration. The proposal also calls for the protection of degraded soils, abandoned paths, and areas that prevent isolation of the protected space.
During the session, council members highlighted the fragility of La Caleta-Diego Hernández, a small area surrounded by urban developments and tourism. They expressed concerns that it risks becoming just another urban beach, negatively impacting its natural values.
Additionally, the council urged the Canary Islands Government to consider establishing a peripheral protection zone in line with existing legislation, which would mitigate external impacts and enhance ecological connectivity between natural spaces and urbanised areas.
The council stressed that the protection of this coastline is vital not only for its scenic value but also for the conservation of marine bird communities and habitats like halophytic plants, cliffs, and coastal deposits. Recent environmental restoration efforts by the Tenerife Cabildo, including waste removal and the rehabilitation of degraded areas, have been appreciated, but the council argues that these are insufficient for long-term conservation.
Adeje has now taken a firm institutional stance in favour of preserving one of its last non-urbanised coastal stretches. The proposed expansion, creation of a protective zone, and an ongoing restoration and responsible public use plan are seen as essential for managing access and reducing pressure on Diego Hernández.
The responsibility for initiating studies to expand the site now lies with the Canary Islands Government and the Tenerife Cabildo, as they are authorized to carry out the necessary processes. The council demands that La Caleta-Diego Hernández be recognised not merely as a scenic or tourist resource but as a natural heritage asset of Adeje. Recent evacuations have addressed unauthorized camping and gatherings in the area, highlighting ongoing pressures.
