Tenerife's Taborno Village Dwindles Amid Housing, Service Crisis
The remote Tenerife village of Taborno is battling population decline, a severe housing crisis, and a lack of services, leading residents to criticize perceived government neglect and unsustainable tourism practices.
A recent report has shed light on the difficult situation in Taborno, a small village in the north of Tenerife's Anaga Massif. This community is battling a shrinking population and a severe lack of services, all within a protected natural area. With fewer than forty residents, Taborno's struggles mirror the wider problem of "empty Spain" and, more specifically, the housing crisis affecting the Canary Islands, even in its most remote and naturally valuable regions.
Antonio Hernández García, known as Toño, a former local police officer who served the area for thirteen years, and Sonia Negrín García, 30, who leads the neighborhood association, are key voices in this fight. Negrín García herself had to leave Taborno three months ago with her partner because they couldn't find anywhere to rent or buy. She highlights the scarcity of homes and strict building rules, which prevent former residents from returning. This issue is part of a larger housing crisis across the Canary Islands, and Anaga is no exception.
The population decline is clear: Taborno's school closed in 2005, and today only two children live in the village, traveling to Las Carboneras for their education. Hernández García believes this situation threatens the area's future by failing to teach younger generations the importance of their homeland. The lack of services worsened last October with the closure of the last shop. However, the village still has two bars, and a doctor visits the community center every two weeks. Public transport has, thankfully, seen some recent improvements.
Both residents feel neglected by the authorities. Negrín García has repeatedly asked the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council to improve the village square and playground, but she hasn't received a response. Hernández García, on the other hand, criticizes the government's approach to tourism, calling it unsustainable. With 150 to 300 visitors daily, the former police officer advocates for tourism that respects the natural environment of the Anaga Massif, which is a Rural Park and Biosphere Reserve. He is concerned about the constant increase in visitors to Tenerife.
An example of poor management by the authorities is the Cabildo de Tenerife's investment of around 20,000 euros to furnish the community center, intending to turn it into a visitor center. Yet, this space remains unused for its purpose. Hernández García sees this as a missed opportunity to create local jobs, for people like Sonia Negrín García herself.