Over 30,000 people took to the streets across the Canary Islands on Friday to demand an urgent change to the region’s tourism model, which they say is devouring natural resources and destroying quality of life. Under the slogan “The Canary Islands have a limit”, this was the second major wave of citizen mobilisation calling for a moratorium on hotel development, a halt to environmentally destructive macro-projects, and stronger protections for the territory and its residents.
Widespread Demonstrations Across the Islands and Beyond
The coordinated protests began around 11 a.m. on multiple islands, although some started later than scheduled. According to estimates by the Government Delegation, around 23,190 people joined across the archipelago, with Tenerife alone accounting for 15,000 (9,000 according to police). Participation in other islands included:
- Gran Canaria: 5,000
- Lanzarote: 2,000
- La Palma and Fuerteventura: 500 each
- La Gomera: 100
- El Hierro: 90
The organising platform, however, placed total participation at around 90,000, including 300 people in Madrid.
Placards in Tenerife read:
- “Leaders in tourism and poverty: Europe’s slaves”
- “Wake up – we’re gambling with our future”
- “No more sewage in our sea!”
This was the third major demonstration since 2024, organised in opposition to a tourism-dependent economic model they describe as unsustainable, speculative, and socially unjust, especially in a territory with limited resources and space. Activists accuse the authorities of ignoring citizens’ concerns, introducing regressive regulations, and worsening the region’s social, environmental, and economic crisis.
Activists Call for an Overhaul of the Tourism Model
Helena Espinosa from environmental group ATAN voiced frustration over the continued focus on mass tourism:
“They insist on pushing this model that exhausts our resources and way of life. We’re not against tourism — we want a controlled model that respects the islands’ capacity limits. We are nearing 18 million tourists per year, and it seems there’s no plan to stop.”
Filmmaker and activist Felipe Ravina highlighted that one year after the initial protests, illegal projects are still going forward, with no real limitations on tourism or population growth.
“In the last 20 years, the population has grown by 600,000 — much of it from outside — and the territory cannot sustain endless expansion.”
Ravina accused the authorities of manipulating the narrative by branding damaging initiatives as “sustainable”, while in reality, no substantial action is being taken.
Key Demands of the Movement
Protesters are calling for:
- An immediate halt to destructive macro-projects and demolition of those already ruled illegal
- A real moratorium on hotel and tourist development
- A residence law to curb property speculation
- Restoration of ecosystems and creation of an environmental protection law
- Measures to achieve food and energy sovereignty
- A ban on waste dumping into the sea and protection of marine life
- Introduction of a true tourist tax
- Rejection of unsustainable infrastructure projects (trains, highways, ports, airports)
- Defence of cultural and social heritage
Solidarity Demonstrations in Mainland Spain and Europe
Protests also took place in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Bilbao, Pamplona, Santiago de Compostela, and even Berlin. In Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, about 100 people dressed in yellow T-shirts waved Canarian flags and chanted slogans in solidarity.
Javier Cruz, representing Diáspora Canaria, said:
“We want to give voice to the social mobilisation taking place in the Canary Islands since April 2024 against a parasitic tourism model that is displacing residents and ruining communities.”
Fiorela, a young protester, added:
“There are towns where tourist land exceeds residential land. Our lives are being buried under concrete. In summer, people are kicked out of their rentals to make way for tourists. It’s the same in the Balearics — it’s madness.”
Powerful Images and Local Resistance
In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, protesters marched from Plaza Weyler with banners featuring César Manrique and images of excrement, symbolising pollution on local beaches. Rubén Pérez of Salvar La Tejita demanded an end to development projects that threaten sensitive coastal areas like El Médano and Puertito de Adeje.
In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, demonstrators started at the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium, calling attention to the housing crisis and opposing projects such as the Salto de Chira hydro plant and the La Atalaya biogas facility, which they argue contradict the “eco-island” narrative promoted by regional authorities.
Noelia Sánchez from Ben Magec – Ecologistas en Acción criticised the government and business community for trivialising the crisis caused by unchecked tourism and failing to address the damage caused by short-term holiday rentals and tourist saturation.
A Movement at a Crossroads
As the Canary Islands brace for another record-breaking tourist season, protestors are intensifying pressure on authorities to prioritise residents, environment, and sustainability over unregulated economic growth. With a growing grassroots movement and growing attention from the mainland and abroad, this may mark a turning point in the Canary Islands’ battle against overtourism.
