Environmental group lashes out at tourists, causing damage to Spain’s highest peak
A Canary Islands environmental group warned that visitors are wandering and climbing onto protected terrain, thus damaging the Ted National Park in Tenerife.
The UNESCO heritage featured in Teide National Park is Teide-Pico Viejo Stratovolcano, a site of 371.8 billion, the highest peak in Spanish territory with views of its volcanic landscape and towering heights.
Visitors to Tenerife are a popular resort and often visit this huge natural landmark, home to flora and fauna, as well as small creatures such as Tenerife Lizard, which are unique to the region.
The Tourism Bureau of Tenerife said Ted National Park is the most visited national park in Europe and welcomes about 3 million tourists each year.
However, the Telesforo Bravo -Juan Coello Foundation, a Canadian environmentalist and scientific group, criticized the island’s council for their view that the park’s “unsustainable” management of the park.
Telesforo Bravo – The director of the Juan Coello Foundation Jaime Coello Bravo wrote in a social media post on Sunday, April 13 that Teide National Park is “painful.”
Mr. Bravo convened the Cabildo de Tenerife (Tenerife Island Council) to continue to “allow and promote what they call mass anger and destroy what they call “the crown jewelry of the natural space of Tenerife”.”
He continued: “If it were jewelry on the crown. What would other spaces be like? We know, because most people are equal or worse.”
“It’s a scandal and a shame, lack of reaction, inaction and complicity, and the situation is not sustainable.”
Mr Bravo also posted pictures and videos of a visitor parking lot where people were seen climbing up the volcanic rock formation and taking pictures, and a woman seemed to pick up the stone.
“In the picture, you can enjoy the Minas de Sanjosé the previous few days,” he said. “The overcrowding of vehicles is indescribable.”
“People are also wandering around and climbing everywhere. In addition, we can see people picking rocks in another area of the park and bringing it to the front [Mount] Guajara. ”
Environmentalists’ criticism comes days after Cabildo de Tenerife announced an online booking system for some more advanced trails around the national park.
The committee walks into the trails leading to the peak of the Mountain National Park, the Mountain Federation, and authorized tourism professionals and companies that must meet a range of requirements such as permits and certain equipment.
Under the title of hiking, hiking and/or hiking activities, people registered at the Canary Islands Government’s Tourism Registration will be allowed to access and have recognized guidelines and have the necessary qualifications.
An online booking system has been established “to protect the natural environment and control the influx of people”.
independent Comments from Telesforo Bravo – Juan Coello Foundation and Cabildo de Tenerife have been contacted.
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast