Concern has existed for decades. The plans propose measures, and the current government of the Cabildo of Tenerife (CC-PP) has continuously announced measures to prevent vehicle congestion in the Teide National Park. However, what happened this Friday, 15th August, during the festival of La Candelaria, is unprecedented and has raised all the alarms, at least for some witnesses who have provided Canary Islands Now with unedifying images from yesterday’s events in this World Heritage site.
Just when the first procession of the Virgin of La Candelaria created surprisingly empty spaces in the square of the Patron on 15th August (both for the devoted and those less religious or those who utilise the festival for other leisure activities), the Teide National Park was completely overwhelmed with vehicles and visitors, as shown in the accompanying photos.
Moreover, according to witnesses, an infinite mix of vehicles and tourist buses mingled with residents who also chose this day to visit Teide or its slopes (El Llano Ucanca, the parador, Las Cañadas, El Portillo, the mountain…), as well as others opting for this route to head south, north, northwest, or to the metropolitan area. Furthermore, numerous safari vehicles also joined in, both day and night (as shown in the video), resulting in a scene completely removed from what is considered sustainability, and incompatible with a World Heritage site that is genuinely sought to be protected.
Very far away, at least in practice, are the intentions of the Cabildo to regulate or at least better control the attendance of vehicles in Las Cañadas, indiscriminate parking that often invades the roadway, as well as highly congested areas like the cable car, the parador, parking areas of Llano Ucanca, Montaña Blanca, or El Portillo.
Certainly, the congestion at various times on Friday, 15th August, in Las Cañadas contrasted sharply with the morning emptiness in the square of La Candelaria, with the former not representing particularly uplifting news or an image worthy of being shared with the world.
