A Year of Contrasts for Tenerife’s Future
The challenge of balancing economic development, population growth, and nature preservation defined 2025 for Tenerife, a year which saw both steps forward and steps back. Sustainability was at the heart of many major headlines, from the crisis of sewage discharges at Playa Jardín – which reopened in June after a 10-month closure due to faecal contamination – to the court’s annulment of Santa Cruz’s mobility ordinance, progress on ending motorway queues, drought, the start of construction on the Motor Circuit, and the new management plan for Teide National Park.
Environmental Wins and a Tragic Loss
At least 2025 ended with an autumn and start to winter that was rainier than previous years – leading the island council to consider ending the water emergency – and with the heaviest snowfall in a decade on Mount Teide. This brought another piece of good news: the success of the shuttle bus service during the ‘snow operation’. This initiative meant thousands of visitors left their cars behind for once, accessed the area by public transport, and avoided the usual traffic collapses that posed an additional threat to Tenerife’s natural jewel.
Respect for the environment and climate was also behind the year’s worst tragedy. On Sunday, 7 December, a freak wave – during an official weather alert – at the Isla Cangrejo natural pools in Santiago del Teide caused the death of four tourists. The area had been cordoned off and barriers erected, but the visitors climbed over them.
Mobility and Infrastructure: An Ongoing Battle
The challenge facing Santa Cruz City Council regarding mobility also revolves around sustainability. In March, the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands struck down the Mobility and Road Safety Ordinance. Due to this ruling, the council was forced in November to remove the cycle lane from streets in the city centre.
The Island Council shares a mobility challenge with the Santa Cruz authority, but in its case, it relates to a situation that has shaped its policies for years: traffic jams on the roads, primarily on the island’s northern and southern motorways. It is worth remembering that some sections of the Northern Motorway (TF-5) are among the most congested in the country: with an average of 110,000 vehicles per day, they approach the traffic levels of roads like Madrid’s M-40 ring road. At least some projects have moved forward – a third lane for the TF-5, a new terminal for the Port of Los Cristianos, a first funding protocol with the State for the Southern train line, and staggered access to the University of La Laguna – aimed at ending the queues.
Preparing for the Unthinkable
2025 was also the year of the first major eruption simulation in history: the exercise in Garachico on 27 September. The island has not stopped experiencing seismic activity, but scientists rule out any imminent risk of an eruption.
No post found!