The Adeje City Council has officially granted a building permit for the Cuna del Alma tourism project, allowing construction to begin on part of the development located in El Puertito, in the south of Tenerife. The announcement comes amid ongoing controversy, as environmental activists and scientists have been campaigning for more than two years to halt the project due to its potential environmental impact.
The initial phase of the project involves a 45,534 square metre plot designated for tourism, with plans to construct 314 accommodation units. However, this is just a fraction of the overall plan by the developer, Segunda Casa Adeje, which envisions a massive 430,000 square metre development with 3,602 tourist beds. This isn’t a complex it’s a small town.
The Adeje municipality, led by Mayor José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga, has set an 18-month deadline for the start of construction and a 48-month timeframe for completion. The total cost of the first phase is estimated at €43.22 million. In an official statement, the council warned that occupancy and use of the accommodations will not be allowed until all urbanisation works are fully completed.
This decision follows a recent move by the local council to authorise the transplantation of ‘viborina triste’, a highly protected plant found on the site, which had led to a temporary suspension of construction for nearly two years. The plant is listed in the Canary Islands Catalogue of Protected Species, and its presence in the area had raised concerns over the environmental impact of the development.
The Cuna del Alma project has faced legal hurdles in recent months, including three open cases during the tenure of former Canary Islands President Ángel Víctor Torres between 2019 and 2023. One of the major controversies involved the intentional destruction of an archaeological site discovered during the project, for which a €600,000 fine had been proposed. However, the fine expired on August 31st, 2023, due to a lapse in enforcement by the new administration under the Canary Islands Coalition (CC).
Additionally, the Canary Islands Agency for Environmental Protection (ACPMN) dropped its case against the project for lacking an environmental impact report. The agency justified its decision due to procedural errors, despite ongoing concerns over the ecological value of El Puertito and the absence of a formal environmental assessment.
As for the viborina triste plant, the Adeje council has assumed responsibility for its relocation, despite objections. The council argued that the development is in the public interest and essential for ensuring residents’ right to decent housing, even though Cuna del Alma does not include residential components.
This controversial project, along with another planned hotel development at La Tejita beach in Granadilla de Abona, sparked protests across the Canary Islands earlier this year. On April 20th, demonstrators took to the streets with slogans such as “We want to be hosts, not slaves” and “Paradise is not built with concrete.” The protests culminated in a 20-day hunger strike, with activists demanding the suspension of both projects due to their perceived environmental harm.
Local opposition, including from political parties like Podemos Adeje, remains strong. Gabriel González, a spokesperson for the party, condemned the project as a "blatant environmental attack" and accused the Fraga government of pushing through a project rife with irregularities with tacit support from the current Canary Islands administration.
