Güímar Council Faces €1.5 Million Bill Amid Las Bajas Legal Dispute
The Güímar City Council faces over 1.5 million euros in costs and legal uncertainty following a failed emergency hillside stabilization project in the Las Bajas hamlet.
Managing the Las Bajas hamlet in Güímar has become a significant financial and administrative headache for the local government. The City Council has been ordered to pay over 120,000 euros in late interest to the construction firm hired to stabilize the hillside. According to official figures, this brings the total cost of the legal dispute to more than 1.5 million euros.
The conflict began in February 2021, when experts warned that the hillside above the area’s cave dwellings was at risk of collapse. The council initially awarded an emergency contract worth 342,865 euros. However, the project stalled in August 2021 after officials discovered that work certifications had ballooned to over one million euros—far exceeding the original agreement.
Mayor Gustavo Pérez has defended the decision to cancel the contract, citing an opinion from the Consultative Council. The council concluded that the construction company had made major changes to the project without municipal approval. This situation, which unfolded during the 2019–2023 term under a coalition government, has left the area in a state of legal and physical uncertainty. For years, access to the neighborhood has been inconsistent, ranging from full closures and security surveillance to residents trying to return home and frequent vandalism of security fencing.
The situation shifted last May when Mayor Carmen Luisa Castro authorized the path to reopen, based on an external technical report. The fences were removed in late July, allowing people to pass through the area again. Paradoxically, the settlement remains under investigation by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition. The Directorate-General for the Coast and the Sea maintains that the hamlet sits on public land, meaning it cannot legally be used for housing.
This case highlights the risks of emergency contracts when they are caught between shifting political leadership and poor coordination between government bodies. While the Güímar City Council continues to pay the price for the unfinished project, the residents of Las Bajas remain in legal limbo, waiting to see if their homes will ever be officially recognized under coastal regulations.