Brits are among the tourists to have been banned from a popular holiday spot due to health fears.
People enjoying their holiday in Tenerife, one of the Spanish Canary Islands, might fancy an idyllic seaside swim at Playa Jardín in Puerto de la Cruz, but there is an indefinite ban on swimming there due to recent tests that discovered e-coli bacteria. Anyone who ignores the warning could be at risk of a nasty infection. Following a public health report by the Canary Islands government that revealed the poor state of the water, signs have been put up along the entrances to the beach.
Puerto de la Cruz council said: “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 de cision 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.”
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According to the Metro, Mayor Marco González said there are fears the water quality issue will harm tourism in the area and also affect Tenerife’s reputation as a tourist destination. Data from Statista said that the UK was “the most important tourism source market for the Canary Island of Tenerife” in 2022 thanks to 2.3 million British tourists visiting the island that year. The incredible numbers saw inbound Brits in Tenerife at nearly three times the number of Spanish tourists visiting in 2022.
Mr González said “if all administrations prioritise the actions that are already not only planned but also have the necessary financing” then the water problem could be dealt with. An investigation is underway to try and get to the source of the problem, with authorities looking at the local treatment plant and pumping station.
A new tax, meanwhile, will also come into place after locals complained about the huge numbers of tourists, which will be applied to rural areas and the protected site of Mount Teide. The Canary Islands’ City Council confirmed the levy will be in place for tourists from January 1 next year. Tenerife’s president Rosa Davila said in April: “We must analyse the exceptionalities that can be applied in a territory as fragile and limited as ours. What is clear is that Tenerife cannot be a theme park. “Those who visit us have to value and respect our natural and cultural wealth, our resources, and they have to be clear about the rules for their preservation. In addition, there have to be limits to prevent tourism from overflowing.”
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