In yet another blow to Brits, Tenerife has introduced a strict ban on cars in a popular area frequently touted as Spain’s answer to ‘Machu Picchu’
Tenerife has swiftly clamped down on tourists following outrage from locals, who argue their tiny village has been turned into a ‘theme park’. As we reported earlier this week, residents in the mountain region of Masca, often touted as the ‘Spanish Machu Picchu’, issued an urgent plea to tackle over-tourism.
Despite being branded as a ‘rural’ escape filled with ‘beautifully maintained houses and cobbled streets’, the lush village says it’s had enough of droves of tourists who park illegally, add to constant traffic, and block private driveways to hike through the scenic valley. Major reforms to regulate traffic, improve safety and enhance public services were put forward in a ‘formal’ proposal from Jorge Javier Díaz, President of the local residents’ association.
“Tourists don’t see any signage and end up parking in private driveways or village access roads,” Jorge said. “Everything is being designed with tourists in mind, but when will someone think about the residents?”
READ MORE: Spain’s brutal new tourist law goes live and this is what it means for Brits
In just days, the government has seemingly listened to Masca’s 90-something residents and rapidly unveiled measures to curb the issue. According to local news, access to the Masca Valley will be restricted solely to visitors arriving by an ‘official shuttle bus’ as soon as April 18.
“Under the new system, only visitors holding a stamped ticket purchased through the official website, and using the designated shuttle service will be permitted to enter the gorge,” reports Canarian Weekly. “Tickets include both entry to the hiking trail and the shuttle journey. Access will be denied to anyone without a valid ticket, and private vehicles or unauthorised buses will no longer be allowed entry.”
The publication states that a shuttle service will operate Friday through Sunday between 7am and 2pm. Four minibuses, which can carry 18 holidaymakers, will depart every 20 minutes from the town of Santiago del Teide, on the west of the island.
While accessing the gorge is free for Tenerife residents, non-residents have to cough up €38 (£32) for adults and €19 (£16) for children. Since July 2024, daily access to the gorge has been limited to 275 visitors – a crackdown on the 100,000 visitors that flocked to the natural attraction before the cap was introduced.
Introduced by President Rosa Dávila, the new measures will help maintain the character of Masca as a ‘real community’ and not a touristy free-for-all. Proposals to improve infrastructure in the region, including creating new lay-bys along the road, are also being discussed.
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The move is just one of a series of new policies that seek to tackle over-tourism on the island, which last year welcomed a whopping 6.2 million International visitors. Spain (including the Canary Islands) has already implemented a strict law which means property owners living in residential complexes will need the thumbs up from their neighbours if they want to rent out their homes to holidaymakers.
As previously reported, locals wanting to cash in on the influx of Brits will now need to gain a 60 per cent majority vote from neighbouring property owners. Those flouting the rules may be threatened with legal action.
Escalating anti-tourist sentiment has even taken a violent turn on the island – after a shocking sign threatening to ‘kill a tourist’ was spotted on the streets. Reports also emerged that anonymous activists had gone as far as setting fire to rental cars on the island to reiterate their clear message.
Has the spike in anti-tourist sentiment put you off from visiting Tenerife? Email liam.gilliver@reachplc.com for a chance to share your story
