On Sunday, October 20, a protest in Tenerife, organised by the platform Canarias tiene un límite, took an unexpected turn when demonstrators descended upon Playa de las Américas, one of the island’s most popular tourist spots. The rally, which initially gathered around 2,000 people at the Metrópolis Center, saw a group of activists march towards the beach, catching many tourists off guard.
Amid banners and chants, protesters took over the beach, shouting slogans such as ‘Canarias no se vende’ (The Canary Islands are not for sale) and ‘More tourists, more misery,’ voicing their discontent with the island’s current tourism model.
Visitors, some sunbathing or enjoying the sea, watched in surprise as the demonstrators called attention to the problems they associate with mass tourism: overcrowding, environmental damage, and a precarious housing market.
The protest was part of a broader movement taking place across the Canary Islands, with similar demonstrations in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, and El Hierro.
Organisers highlighted the urgent need for action, including a moratorium on new hotel construction and a reassessment of the islands’ economic dependency on tourism. The peaceful demonstration aimed to push for concrete changes to protect the islands from what protesters say is an unsustainable future.
