Anaga Residents Issue Ultimatum Over Tourist Traffic Chaos

"We can't take it anymore." This is the urgent message from people living in Anaga rural park. They are overwhelmed by the huge number of cars and tourist buses visiting the Anaga Massif every day. This natural area is a declared Biosphere Reserve.

Residents in the small villages say they can no longer tolerate the long traffic jams on the roads leading to Cruz del Carmen and Pico del Inglés. These blockages often stop them from getting to or from work, prevent doctors from visiting, delay school buses picking up children, and even stop ambulances from reaching emergencies.

Because of this, they warn that if the Island Council doesn't quickly introduce rules to manage traffic in the area, residents will "take justice into their own hands, no matter what."

They even say they might "mobilize and block the entrances to all car parks in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, so they can see what we have to put up with here."

According to residents, on a recent Tuesday, the road was completely jammed from early morning. "We told the Council around 10:30 AM to send the police," one resident explained. "But while the officers were coming on motorcycles from La Laguna, an ambulance got stuck in the queue for a long time. This is unacceptable."

Residents report that the police "managed to get traffic moving and control where cars parked, but as soon as they left, the road was blocked again by more cars and buses."

The affected residents are asking for solutions. They want information screens to show drivers, in real-time, how full the car parks are in Cruz del Carmen, similar to what's done at Las Teresitas beach. Another suggestion is a booking system for people visiting the natural area. They stress, "We can't keep having the road blocked because tourists park anywhere they like, even at bus stops, when there's no proper parking."