In their latest attempt to stop construction, campaigners have called for protests next week (Image: Getty)
Furious locals determined to stop the construction of a major tourism project underway in the Canary Islands have announced their latest action with plans to march through the capital, Tenerife. The protest, organized by the Asamblea Revindicativa Canaria, will start at 11am on Sunday (26 April) in Plaza Weyler, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with demonstrators set to pass key government buildings including the Canary Island Parliament, the Tenerife Cabildo and the Regional Government Presidency.
The action is aimed at stopping the controversial Kuna del Alma tourism development near the city of Adeje and the popular Playa de las Americas resort on the south-west coast. It seeks to transform the beautiful bay of El Putito into a luxurious, intimate resort with 3,602 beds for visitors at a total cost of approximately £36 million. However, critics have been condemning the project since its announcement, arguing that it would create a mini-city and have a severe impact on the local ecology.
This latest action follows a recent court ruling ordering the suspension of work on a portion of the site as a precautionary measure. The decision affects approximately 27,000 square feet (2,500 square meters) within the protected coastal zone.
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Cuna del Alma wants to transform the beautiful bay of El Puetito into a luxurious, intimate resort with 3,602 beds for visitors (Image: Kuna del Alma)
Campaign organizers described the decision as “a small but important victory”, especially as both the project developer and the Canary Islands government’s Coast Directorate General are now under investigation.
However, they warn that construction continuing rapidly in the rest of the large-scale tourist development could potentially cause irreversible environmental damage, they claim. The endemic plant species protected on this project is Viborina triste (echium triste).
The group is calling for the area to be preserved and turned into a museum, a heritage site dedicated to the history and natural environment of Tenerife. They argue that the site is of unique importance because of its Guanche archaeological remains, endemic plant life, marine species, and distinctive geological features.
In a statement, organizers said locals had been “ignored, sold out and misled”, urging immediate action against what they described as an unsustainable and harmful project. Canarian Weekly Informed.
The project has been a catalyst for hunger strikes and protests in Tenerife (Image: Handout)
Activists noted that, despite ongoing debate, measures such as tourist eco-taxes, already common in many major destinations around the world, have not yet been introduced in the Canary Islands.
The Cuna del Alma project has become a focal point for mass protests and other extreme forms of activism. These demonstrations are part of a wider movement called “Canarias tiene un limite” (“The Canary Islands have a limit”), which protests the current tourism model, as residents argue that it is destroying Tenerife’s natural resources and making life unaffordable. In April 2024, tensions reached a crescendo when members of the activist group Canarias Se Agota (“The Canaries Are Running Out”) began a 19-day hunger strike.
In October, Greenpeace listed Cuna del Alma as one of its 12 major threats to biodiversity in Spain, accusing the project of “ecocide” and criticizing government complicity.
Kuna del Alma’s developer, Segunda Casa Adje, said it pledges to protect and restore the area’s natural environment (Image: Kuna del Alma)
The developer of Cuna del Alma, Segunda Casa Adje, has said that it has a “Environment-Reveal”Which takes an oath to protect and restore the natural environment of the area.
Its website reads: “We believe in a tourism model that is implemented in harmony with its surroundings. Respectful with its environment, sustainable, able to be enjoyed by present and future generations.”
“We are passionate about Tenerife, its people, its volcanic landscapes and wonderful contrasts. We will prioritize local products and put our people first, creating approximately 750 new jobs in the process. We will always follow an environment-focused plan and protect biodiversity. Integration is part of our DNA. Our goal is to restore the natural balance, reviving landscapes damaged by humans while at the same time implementing low-density architecture.
“We value the ocean and its contribution to life and beauty. We are striving to restore the original coastline, preserve the local marine environment and incorporate a recovery program to protect the ‘boba’ turtle. We want our social and environmental commitments to be our legacy to be enjoyed by future generations. Setting a standard for sustainability by building with ecological materials based on international practices.”
Express has contacted Segunda Casa Adje for comment.
