Tenerife Council Denies Corruption Over Punta de Teno Holiday Home
A pre-existing house in Punta de Teno, built before the area's protected status, is still being advertised for rentals, prompting the Tenerife council to deny corruption claims and defend their conservation efforts.
A house in Punta de Teno is still being advertised online for holidays and events, even though it was built before the area became a protected Rural Park.
The Tenerife local council (Cabildo) is calling claims of corruption linked to the house "fake news." They say the strict rules they've put in place are actually what's stopping developers from building all over the area. Blanca Pérez, the councilor in charge of the environment, insists that people can't just spread lies online.
The house is privately owned and was built in 1968 as a sample home for a housing project that never happened. Photos from 1977 show the house was already there over 45 years ago, proving it's not part of any recent building schemes.
Pérez explains that when the park was created in 1987, and rules were set in 1999, the housing project was cancelled for good. She says the council's actions are helping to protect the area from being developed.
The company that used to own all of Punta de Teno, Teno SA, originally built the house as a model for a tourist resort that was later abandoned.
The Tenerife council emphasizes that the house is private property and they've never had anything to do with building or maintaining it. It's also unclear if the famous architect Fernando Higueras, who died in 2008, designed the house.
So why is this house still being advertised for parties and holidays? Ads online say things like: "Villa Luxury Punta de Teno - Canary Good Vibes has a pool, garden, and terrace, offering accommodation in Buenavista del Norte with free Wi-Fi and sea views."
The ads also mention free parking and activities like hiking, fishing, and snorkeling. They describe the villa as having seven bedrooms, a living room, a fully equipped kitchen, five bathrooms, a flat-screen TV, and even a Blu-ray player. It also boasts barbecue facilities and bike rentals.
Blanca Pérez points out that there are already houses in the island's rural parks, either in small villages or on their own. She says the ones in Teno and Anaga were built before the parks were created and are privately owned.
She clarifies that this particular house doesn't fit into the park's current planning rules because it's not part of any recognized rural settlement. In other words, it was legally built before the laws changed. The councilor concludes by repeating that claims of corruption are untrue and just meant to cause trouble.