Joshua Castiglioni, 27, and his mum, Paola Nigro, 63, are sleeping by the side of a road after moving to Tenerife in search of a new life – but say life on their makeshift campsite is ‘good’
A mum and son who flew to Tenerife in search of a ‘new life’ have shared how they ended up living by the side of a road in a tent.
Joshua Castiglioni, 27, a former barman, and his mother Paola Nigro, 63, sought a new beginning on the Spanish island three months ago after a rift tore their family apart. But they have been left in limbo waiting for important work documents to arrive after misplacing their original ones – and are currently residing in a makeshift campsite on the outskirts of El Médano, a town on Tenerife’s south coast.
Joshua and Paola had initially pitched up in another area by a beach, but were moved on by police.
Despite living in a tent, they say their lives are currently more manageable than back in their home country, Italy – though they do miss some basic amenities, such as electricity. They rely on public toilets, and often go to local cafes and restaurants for food.
Joshua told the Express.co.uk: “Here is a free zone. It’s good because the weather is good here, we have the sea. It’s easier than Italy, for sure, but it’s always complicated for some stuff because you don’t have the light.
“We ask and they give us something. The food is never a problem here. They are so kind, everybody. You’re free to be yourself, for sure. You have no rules. After the bridge there’s all the rules.”
Around their tent is a number of other pulled-together homes of varying levels of sophistication, with one of them even having an outdoor toilet hut.
Another has a front gate that appears to have been crafted from the back of a wooden dining chair, while others have taken advantage of natural caves.
Describing a sense of community among the inhabitants, Joshua shared: “A lot [of people] live here. We’re like a family. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not good. It’s normal.
“Here, it is quiet. The same on the beach, but the police come every time to say ‘go away'”.
Mum Paola, communicating through her son as a translator, said: “I like it. It’s like a holiday.”
When Joshua finally secures a job, he hopes to save money for a flat. Paola meanwhile hopes to own a house in the future, but for now is content with their current living situation.
She says she enjoys the freedom of the campsite, and loves that she’s able to visit the sea whenever she pleases.
Their story comes amid a wave of anti-tourist demonstrations in Tenerife, with locals complaining that an influx of wealthy foreign homeowners has pushed up prices and led to a housing shortage.
In the South of Tenerife, where Joshua and Paola are living, prices are up around 30% since 2020 – pricing out many who only a few years ago would have been able to afford a place of their own. In November, the Canary Islands regional government said it was actively looking at how to impose restrictions on foreign property purchases, though protests have continued.