Anaga Residents Plan Road Protest Over Mass Tourism Traffic Congestion
Residents and business owners in Tenerife’s Anaga Rural Park have scheduled a protest for March 14 to demand urgent traffic regulation and infrastructure improvements to address gridlock caused by mass tourism.
Managing protected natural areas in the Canary Islands is back in the spotlight following plans for a protest in Anaga Rural Park. Local residents and business owners have organized a demonstration for Saturday, March 14, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., to draw attention to the severe traffic congestion in the region.
The issue centers on the TF-12 road, where an overflow of private cars and tourist vehicles is blocking essential services, including ambulances and school buses. The protest, which will involve blocking the road near Cruz del Carmen, follows years of frustration. Residents from communities like Roque Negro, Taborno, Almáciga, and Casas de la Cumbre claim the island’s administration has ignored their requests for better traffic regulation and police presence for the past two years.
This conflict highlights the ongoing tension between promoting tourism in Biosphere Reserves and maintaining a decent quality of life for those who live there. Residents say the situation is unsustainable, noting that a lack of structural improvements—such as wider road shoulders or designated parking areas—has led to constant gridlock. Distrust in the Tenerife Island Council (Cabildo de Tenerife) is so high that local associations have refused to attend an emergency meeting called for this Wednesday, arguing that the council lacks a real plan to solve the problem.
At its core, this protest is about more than just traffic; it reflects growing concern over the impact of mass tourism on a fragile ecosystem. For the people of Anaga, this is a fight for road safety and the right to move freely in a rural area where infrastructure is no longer equipped to handle the balance between daily life and heavy visitor traffic.