Tenerife authorities have issued a ‘red alert’ warning at three major tourist hotspots, and Brits planning on visiting the popular destination need to take heed of it
Each year thousands of British tourists visit Tenerife in the Canary Islands in the hope of enjoying some winter sun. However, three popular destinations within Tenerife are now reportedly subject to a “red alert” ban that will prohibit visitors from doing one particular holiday activity “indefinitely”.
Due to health concerns of water contamination, swimming has been banned at Playa Jardin, in Puerto de la Cruz and “the zones of El Bloque and Los Charcos in Valleseco due to ‘the identification of certain indicators that suggest water pollution'” – which means you may have to give going for a dip in the sea a miss if you’re heading to the holiday hotspot any time soon.
The swimming ban in Playa Jardin was first put in place on 4 July, due to wastewater pollution, which has seen E.Coli to be present in the water. This can pose serious risks to your health so entering the water has been prohibited, signage in a variety of languages has reportedly been put up informing holidaymakers about the ban, and red flags are being flown on the beaches.
In Valleseco, the same measures have been taken, and the local authorities are reported by Birmingham Live to be carefully monitoring the water, to see if the issue resolves itself and tourists will be allowed back into the sea. Playa Jardin, in Puerto de la Cruz, is one of the most popular beaches in Tenerife, featuring stunning stretches of coastline and the island’s trademark black sand. However beautiful the area is, you should not take any risks when visiting by ignoring the ban on entering the water. Local authorities have previously said about the water contamination, “There is epidemiological evidence that this situation can cause gastrointestinal symptoms due to ingestion of water, as well as other types of conditions such as acute respiratory infections and infections of the ears, eyes, nasal passages, and skin.
“This decision will be extended indefinitely and is a measure in response to the decline in water quality that has been occurring at least since 2016 in the Playa Jardín area and, above all, in this last year 2024.” Tourism plays a crucial role in Tenerife’s economy, with millions of Brits visiting each year – and in 2022 the number of UK tourists surpassed those visiting from Spain by three times as much. However, tourism isn’t without controversy on the island, with protests taking place by locals about the scale of visitors.
Locals have argued that the mass tourism their home experiences each year is an “unsustainable” model, that needs to be rethought because the current setup “has made life unaffordable and environmentally unsustainable for residents.” These protests have led to a new tourist tax being created, which will be in place from January 2025.
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