Tenerife Youth Report Calls for Improved Leisure and Training in Rural North
A new report led by students in Tenerife’s Isla Baja region provides a roadmap for local officials to improve youth engagement through enhanced outdoor leisure, fitness opportunities, and better inter-municipal connectivity.
A gap between government policy and the needs of young people in rural Tenerife may soon be bridged. A new report from the "Isla Baja Joven" project reveals that residents under thirty in Garachico, Buenavista del Norte, and Los Silos are calling for better leisure and training opportunities, specifically those focused on fitness and the outdoors.
Led by students from the Social Integration program at IES Garachico Alcalde Lorenzo Dorta, the study involved 175 young people and a dozen experts. The resulting document highlights a lack of consistent programming and provides a roadmap for local officials. Popular suggestions include organizing sports competitions, promoting activities like surfing and hiking, and creating community spaces to help young people connect.
The study, which won the Cabildo de Tenerife’s 2026 Project Laboratory award, also emphasizes the need for better public transport between municipalities and improved digital communication to ensure young people are actually informed about local initiatives.
This research is vital, as a lack of healthy leisure options and the risk of depopulation often drive young people to move to larger cities. By basing future policies on data collected directly from local youth, the Cabildo is setting a new standard for decision-making. The success of these proposals will now depend on how well local institutions can coordinate transport and shared spaces to connect these three northern municipalities.