An alert has been raised for the Canary Islands following concerns from experts about significant health risks. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has criticized Spain, particularly the Canary Islands and Tenerife, for inadequate management of urban wastewater discharges.
Due to pollution issues, beaches have been closed, potentially endangering the health of thousands of tourists in 2026. The CJEU’s recent ruling highlighted the lack of proper sewage systems in various parts of Tenerife, including Adeje, Arona, Candelaria, San Isidro, Puerto de Santiago, Playa la Arena, the Orotava Valley, and other southern and metropolitan areas.
The CJEU’s judgment on breaching the Urban Wastewater Directive pinpointed 12 critical locations in Tenerife due to insufficient infrastructure for collecting, treating, and monitoring wastewater discharges into the sea. While no penalties have been enforced yet, the Commission could impose sanctions if the situation is not promptly addressed.
The Tenerife Association of Friends of Nature (ATAN) is now raising concerns about a health crisis, alleging that Tenerife has jeopardized the health of residents and visitors for years. In 2025, several renowned beaches were closed due to faecal contamination, like Playa Jardín in Puerto de la Cruz, shut down for nearly a year due to high E. coli levels surpassing safety limits.
The persisting dire situation has not seen significant intervention from authorities. In early 2026, heavy rainfall has exacerbated the issue, leading to visible sewage along multiple sections of the Tenerife coastline, highlighting the urgent need for action.
In 2019, Spain was fined €12 million for ongoing breaches, with Tenerife’s Valle de Güímar among the problematic areas. The total penalties amounted to approximately €22 million a year later. Despite promises of funding, sewerage and treatment facilities in Tenerife have continually fallen short of standards, as indicated by official data.
The updated register by the Canary Islands Government in 2025 revealed 403 discharge points, with over half of them unlicensed, predominantly in Tenerife. The Canary Islands are grappling with water scarcity, strained infrastructure, and heavy dependence on imported food, leading to their inclusion in Fodor’s No List 2026 due to unsustainable tourism pressures.
Although the Canary Islands are popular among British tourists for their favorable climate, recent issues such as overtourism protests and airport delays have tarnished their reputation. Calls for halting further tourism expansion, improving sewage treatment infrastructure, conducting independent audits of discharge points, and implementing residency restrictions have been voiced by ATAN and other groups.
Island officials argue that the 2020 court decision does not reflect current conditions, highlighting increased investments in sewage and wastewater treatment on Tenerife. They claim that multiple treatment plants and pipelines are either completed, under construction, or fully funded to address the pressing environmental concerns.
