Teide car park upgrades criticised for harming the landscape
A parking improvement project underway in Teide National Park has sparked criticism from environmental groups and the public over its impact on the area's delicate natural surroundings, particularly its protected plant life.
The project, backed by €1.15 million in European funding, aims to upgrade the car parks at La Ruleta near the Roques de García, and the Visitor Centre at Cañada Blanca, one of the park’s main tourist entry points.
Although the proposal was made public nearly a year ago by the Tenerife Cabildo, construction has only recently begun, causing fresh outrage across social media.
The Tenerife Association of Friends of Nature (ATAN) took to social media on Wednesday, showing scenes from the work site, including pipes running across the protected landscape, discarded fences, and visible damage to local flora.
In their post, the group took a swipe at Tenerife president Rosa Dávila’s previous remarks discouraging protests in the park, sarcastically writing: “Teide isn’t a place for demonstrations, it’s a car park for tourists.”
The post has fuelled growing concern about the environmental impact of the works, especially given that Teide is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a protected natural area.
According to the project’s official documents, the work at Cañada Blanca includes regularising 113 parking spaces, widening pedestrian walkways near the small chapel, and adding three accessible parking bays close to the visitor centre. A 2.5-metre-wide pavement will be built on the right-hand side of the road, with a new pedestrian crossing replacing existing speed bumps, all finished in cut natural stone.
At La Ruleta, the area designated for coaches will remain, with upgrades to pedestrian access and three more accessible parking bays added near a planned toilet facility. In both areas, existing parking will be kept in line, and pavements will be widened to improve visitor access.
However, the project also acknowledges the environmental trade-offs. The official report admits the works will involve “a minor level of deterioration, which can be remedied or reversed through corrective measures.”
Despite these assurances, conservationists argue that the visual and ecological effects are already evident and could compromise the integrity of one of the Canary Islands’ most iconic landscapes.
Share:
