The Teide National Park is one of the most visited places in the whole country, which means it also suffers the most from tourist saturation, something that we have recently grown accustomed to.
Thousands of visitors gather in various areas of Teide National Park, causing congestion that makes normal movement impossible.
In a video shared on the Instagram account of @meteolamatanza, it is evident how the Ayosa area is completely overwhelmed by the accumulation of poorly parked or stopped cars in the roadway. The same scene is repeated several metres further on, all with the sole intent of enjoying what many consider one of the most spectacular sunsets on the planet.
“Should we strictly control access to our protected natural spaces?” is the question raised by the account.
The images highlight an evident contrast: a landscape of immense natural value that is not receiving the necessary care. Both rental vehicles and private cars can be seen in them.
Teide Can’t Take Any More
Jaime Coello, from the Telesforo Bravo-Juan Coello Foundation, has publicly denounced the degradation of Teide National Park, a protected space suffering from a “perfect storm” of tourist overcrowding.
In images from last week, traffic congestion can be seen in areas such as the San José Mines, with hundreds of cars parked illegally, and visitors stepping off the paths, climbing rock formations, and collecting stones as souvenirs.
Coello criticises the Tenerife Island Council for prioritising mass tourism over conservation, leading to an unsustainable situation. “If this is the jewel in the crown, how are the other protected spaces?” he states, highlighting the lack of response and complicity from the authorities.
The situation is a “scandal” and a “shame,” according to Coello, who points out that there is no one willing to enforce the regulations and resolve this “disaster.”
