Jaime Coello from the Telesforo Bravo-Juan Coello Foundation has publicly raised concerns about the deterioration of Teide National Park, a protected area experiencing a “perfect storm” of tourist overpopulation.
Recent images reveal a vehicular gridlock in regions such as the San José mines, filled with hundreds of illegally parked vehicles, alongside visitors who wander off the designated paths, scale rock formations, and gather stones as keepsakes.
Coello criticises the Cabildo de Tenerife for placing mass tourism ahead of conservation efforts, resulting in an untenable scenario. “If this is the crown jewel, what condition are the other protected areas in? Most are equally, if not more, compromised,” he asserts, emphasising the lack of action and the complicity of the officials.
The situation is described as a “scandal” and a “disgrace,” according to Coello, who notes that there appears to be no one willing to uphold the regulations and rectify this “catastrophe.”
