Tenerife Opposition Criticizes Continued Closure of Los Patos Beach
The Tenerife Island Council faces criticism from the Socialist opposition over the continued closure of Los Patos beach, as the government fails to implement promised reopening plans for the third consecutive summer.
The administrative deadlock in the El Rincón area of La Orotava has returned to the forefront of Tenerife’s political debate. The Socialist Group in the Tenerife Island Council (Cabildo) claims that the current government—a coalition of the Canarian Coalition and the People's Party—has failed to follow through on agreements made last December to reopen Los Patos beach.
Councilor Javier Rodríguez Medina criticized the lack of progress since a plan to recover the area was approved. Los Patos has been closed since late 2023, and the Socialist opposition argues that the absence of any official paperwork or a clear schedule confirms their concerns that the closure could become permanent.
As a result, Tenerife’s coastline will face its third consecutive summer without access to one of its most iconic beaches. The lack of transparent planning has left both local residents and the tourism industry in the dark, with no reopening date in sight. The Socialist group maintains that the government’s inaction ignores the commitments made during plenary sessions, effectively stalling efforts to restore public access to the area.
The situation at Los Patos reflects the ongoing challenge of balancing environmental protection with public use. The opposition’s criticism highlights the difficulty of managing coastal sites that, due to their rugged terrain and safety risks, require both careful technical work and a clear political strategy—neither of which has yet been delivered.