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Teide National Park, one of the Canary Islands, and Spain’s, most iconic natural landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is facing a growing environmental crisis brought on by mass tourism that is spiralling out of hand.
Jaime Coello, director of the Telesforo Bravo–Juan Coello Foundation, has publicly denounced the degradation of the protected area, warning that the situation has reached a critical tipping point.
Recent images from the park show scenes of alarming disorder: traffic congestion in key areas such as Minas de San José, hundreds of vehicles parked illegally, and tourists straying off marked trails, climbing fragile rock formations, and even removing volcanic stones as souvenirs.
For Coello, these scenes are evidence of what he calls a “perfect storm” of mismanagement and overtourism. “This is a scandal and a disgrace,” he stated, expressing frustration with the lack of enforcement and the apparent indifference of local authorities. “If this is the crown jewel of our protected areas, imagine the state of the rest. Most are just as bad, or worse.”
Coello placed particular blame on the Tenerife Cabildo, accusing it of favouring mass tourism over environmental conservation. He argues that this political prioritisation has brought the park to a state of near-collapse, with little regard for its ecological integrity or long-term sustainability.
The park, visited by millions each year, lacks adequate oversight and regulation of visitors, resulting in increasingly frequent incidents of environmental disrespect and rule-breaking. Despite the park’s protected status, enforcement remains minimal, leaving the landscape vulnerable to irreversible damage.
“The problem is not just the number of visitors,” Coello warned, “but the absence of any real will to protect this place. There’s no one willing to enforce the rules or fix this disaster.”
As the calls for action grow louder, the future of Teide — and by extension, other natural sites across the Canary Islands — depends on a shift in political priorities and an urgent rethink of the current tourism model. For conservationists like Coello, time is running out… fast!
