Emergency Status Granted to Fast-Track Benijo Beach Restoration
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council has secured emergency status for the restoration of Benijo beach, allowing authorities to bypass administrative delays and begin urgent slope stabilization to reopen the site.
Plans to restore Benijo beach have moved forward following talks between the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council and the Canary Islands government. The regional authorities have officially classified the necessary repairs as emergency works, a move that contradicts the previous stance held by state coastal officials.
This support is a major breakthrough for the project. By classifying the repairs as an emergency, the city can bypass the lengthy process of obtaining a formal administrative concession. Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez noted that this approach will significantly speed up the stabilization of the slope, which is vital for public safety. The beach has been closed since last July, when rockfalls blocked the only path in and out of the area.
Carlos Tarife, head of Public Services, welcomed the decision, noting that it provides the legal backing needed to move forward. The city maintains that stabilizing the ground is an urgent priority to allow the beach to reopen. Previously, disagreements between state and regional authorities had stalled progress in this challenging Anaga coastal area, where unstable cliffs often make maintenance difficult.
The city council is now working to finalize the remaining paperwork as quickly as possible, emphasizing that public safety must come first. This administrative progress clears the way for the essential repairs needed to reopen one of the municipality’s most iconic beaches.