Tenerife’s Isolated Bejía Community Struggles for Survival Amid Infrastructure Neglect
The tiny mountain community of Bejía in Tenerife is calling on the La Laguna City Council to provide essential infrastructure and transport services to combat rural isolation and preserve its traditional way of life.
Bejía, a tiny community tucked away in the Anaga mountains of La Laguna, is struggling to survive. With only a dozen permanent residents, the area perfectly illustrates the challenges facing rural Tenerife: a dwindling population and a lack of basic public services.
The neighborhood has long suffered from poor connectivity. Despite being near El Batán, there is no public transport, forcing residents—many of whom are elderly—to walk across steep, difficult terrain just to reach essential services. The access road is in equally poor shape, having seen no major repairs in over 30 years. This makes travel dangerous, especially when it rains.
The local neighborhood association, led by Nérida Pérez González, is now pushing the La Laguna City Council for change. Their top priorities are an on-demand transport service and better access to farmland. These improvements would not only make daily life easier but also help locals continue the agricultural work that has sustained their families for generations.
Despite lacking traditional community hubs like a town square, chapel, or medical center—residents must travel to El Batán for monthly health check-ups—Bejía maintains a strong sense of identity. Life here relies on a subsistence economy and a tight-knit support network, with many former residents returning daily to tend to their land.
However, the area is changing. An increase in hikers and the rise of local vacation rentals have brought new challenges. Protecting this unique landscape, which includes the Las Rosas volcano, now requires a delicate balance: modernizing infrastructure while preserving a traditional way of life that desperately needs support from the authorities.