Why You Shouldn’t Visit These Islands
Now that the summer season is approaching, hearts in offices and classrooms alike yearn for a respite from the monotony of daily life, dreaming of distant paradises awaiting discovery. Some envision exotic lands adorned with white sand beaches and vibrant cultures, while others seek solace in the tranquillity of remote mountain cabins, warmed by crackling fires amidst snowy peaks. Yet, for nearly 15 million tourists annually, the Canary Islands stand as an undeniable paradise.
The Canary Islands are an archipelago located near the coast of Western Sahara. Despite their African location, these islands are a Spanish region, proudly representing a part of the European Union. The archipelago is formed by eight islands, each a gem in its own right: El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and La Graciosa. This region attracts millions of tourists every year because of its subtropical climate and the beauty of its landscapes: the islands are home to 146 protected natural spaces. This natural patrimony comprehends 300,000 hectares of surface area in which we can find national parks like Timanfaya National Park, in Lanzarote, whose soil is of volcanic origin or natural monuments like the highest point in Spain and the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic, Mount Teide, a volcano on Tenerife.
Despite their allure, the Canary Islands face a paradoxical challenge. A little more than 2 million people live in the Canary Islands and yet, they somehow manage to receive an astonishing number of 9 million tourists every summer, with the British market dominating half of the total annual visitors. The influx of foreign tourists during the summer season is so high that it is much easier to hear people speaking English or German in the streets than Spanish. Just so you get how critical is the situation, there are almost 5 tourists for every islander.
In 2020, there were more than 750 hotels in the territory of the islands (excluding Airbnbs and vacation homes, which are all over the territory). The landlords with the most properties in the Canary Islands aren’t usually Canary, but foreigners whose only goal is to make as much money as possible. That’s why is almost impossible to rent, let alone, buy a house or flat if you are a local.
In addition to this matter, the Canary Islands are the second poorest region of Spain, salaries are laughable and like in the rest of the world, paradise or not, everything has gotten a lot more expensive over the last few years, making Canary people even poorer. Foreigners are the only ones who make enough income to be able to buy properties in the Canary Islands, increasing the prices of everything. Landlords take advantage of this and make their prices unreachable for locals. This whole situation makes it impossible for the islanders to live on their own islands and most of the population is being gradually forced to live in other territories from Spain or even other countries in Europe.
According to the results from a study conducted by the Department of Quantitative Methods in Economics of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, it seems that tourists coming from the UK and Germany are not affected by overcrowding yet whereas the islanders cannot sustain more tourists and some of them are urging the users in Twitter to not come to their islands this summer season.
The Canary Islands can’t take more tourism but there are other areas in Spain looking for people to visit them as beautiful as the subtropical islands, offering respite without the strain, that you can visit this summer. One of them is Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light) in the Southwest of Spain, where you will find hidden coves with crystal-clear turquoise waters and international competitions of windsurfing and kiteboarding. In Costa de la Luz you can also enjoy activities such as whale watching, horse riding and golf.
If your idea of paradise includes mountain landscapes too, you should check Asturias and Cantabria. These two regions in the North of Spain are known for their stunning natural attractions including green sceneries, mountains, and breathtaking beaches. Places like Llanes, Ribadesella and Comillas should be on your bucket list for this summer.
The Canary Islands is a paradise without a doubt for its locals and many tourists but if governments, corporations and we, individuals, don’t start behaving sustainably, we might lose it forever into the wilde Abyss.
Work cited: Yolanda Santana-Jiménez, Juan M. Hernández, “Estimating the effect of overcrowding on tourist attraction: The case of Canary Islands”,
Tourism Management, Volume 32, Issue 2, 2011, Pages 415–425, ISSN 0261–5177, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2010.03.013.
