Crisis in Tenerife as tourists ruin beauty spot with traffic jams and bad behaviour
The scenes were almost identical to those on August 15, a national holiday and prompted an angry intervention by the Tenerife Association of Friends of Nature (ATAN).
Environmentalists say the problem of mass tourism at the Teide National Park in Tenerife is becoming critical. Their latest warning comes as new video images shared on social media on Wednesday showed another day of traffic jams, overcrowding and bad behaviour by visitors.
Video footage of the chaotic scenes showed cars badly parked, people urinating in public, and others standing in the middle of the road trying to take pictures - endangering their own lives as well as those of other drivers. The scenes were almost identical to those on August 15, a national holiday and prompted an angry intervention by the Tenerife Association of Friends of Nature (ATAN). The environmental group published a video criticising the continued chaos caused by mass tourism to the beauty spot, Canarian Weekly reports.
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❗❗Nuevo colapso en el Teide, con un creciente número de todoterrenos, quads, motos y turistas. Mientras se multiplican los anuncios sobre medidas y regulación por parte del Cabildo y el Gobierno regional, también se extienden cada día las imágenes de una imparable cifra de… pic.twitter.com/SWKnUOElan
— Canarias Ahora (@Cahora) September 25, 2025
They called on the authorities to take urgent action to resolve the issues, otherwise "Teide will become nothing more than a theme park.”
The group referenced comments made by Cabildo President Rosa Dávila, who said in May: “Teide is not a backdrop for political battles, nor a theme park, nor a protest ground, but a natural sanctuary that deserves respect and protection.”
However, ATAN said the current reality showed her words had made no difference and that the continuing influx of visitors was putting the fragile environment under extreme pressure.
Witnesses have previously reported off-road safari companies arriving in convoys of up to a dozen vehicles.
Motorbike and quad bike groups have also been filmed racing through the area, disturbing the peace in what is meant to be a place of conservation and tranquillity.
Recently the Cabildo announced new plans to restrict private vehicle access to the national park in an attempt to control visitor numbers. Access will be reserved for just buses and coaches at certain times of the day, according to the rule changes.
The impending rule change is part of the new Master Plan for Use and Management currently being finalised by local politicians.
José Miguel Ruano of the Tenerife Cabildo stressed that the rule change was "not a total ban on private vehicles”.
He explained: “There will be specific time slots when all mobility will take place by bus, and others when this will not be the case."
The plan also seeks to provide protections for traditional activities such as beekeeping, as well as improving access for cyclists.
