Tens of thousands of residents have taken to the streets across Spain’s Canary Islands in protest against mass tourism, warning that the influx of visitors is damaging the environment and pricing locals out of their homes.
Demonstrations were held on all seven of the main islands – Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro – with protesters marching under the slogan “Canarias tiene un límite” (“The Canaries have a limit”).
They are calling for urgent action from authorities, including a reduction in short-term holiday rentals, more affordable housing, and measures to limit the number of tourists.
Solidarity protests were also held in mainland Spain, including in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, as frustrations over overtourism continue to spread across the country.
The movement has grown since 2024, when initial demonstrations erupted amid a worsening housing crisis and complaints about crumbling infrastructure across the islands.
The Canary Islands recorded a new tourism high in March this year, welcoming 1.55 million visitors in a single month. In total, 17 million tourists are expected in 2025 – a number protesters say is unsustainable.
They claim the current model prioritises profits over people and the environment, and are calling for a more sustainable approach to tourism that protects local communities.
Protesters marched through popular tourist zones over the weekend, including Troya Beach in Tenerife, where demonstrators waved flags, banged drums, and chanted slogans while sunbathers looked on.
They shouted “Canarias no se vende” (“The Canary Islands are not for sale”) and held up placards with messages such as “Enjoying a day at your pool? That water could be going on food” and “More trees, less hotels”.
In Maspalomas, a major tourist hub in Gran Canaria, several thousand demonstrators walked behind a banner reading “We’re foreigners in our land”.
Some residents made obscene gestures at tourists watching from hotel balconies, who reportedly responded by blowing kisses.
One protester was arrested in Tenerife during the march, although police have not confirmed the reason for the detention.
Demonstrations also took place in Lanzarote, although local reports suggested the turnout there was lower than previous protests in April.
Organisers have accused regional and island leaders of “complete inaction” since the last round of demonstrations, and are calling for the introduction of a tourist tax, cancellation of new hotel developments, and restrictions on property purchases by non-residents.
Environmental activist Brian Harrison, who has lived in Tenerife since 1991, said campaigners decided to shift the protests from government buildings to tourist resorts to send a direct message to holidaymakers and authorities.
“These politicians go to tourism trade shows around Europe promoting the islands as a paradise – the last thing they want is something like this,” he said.
“No one in the movement is against tourism itself. But nothing has changed since the last protests. If anything, things have gone backwards, with more hotel projects being approved.”
In a symbolic protest earlier this year, six activists held a 20-day hunger strike outside a church in La Laguna, Tenerife, to oppose two hotel developments they say are illegal.
Organisers say their campaign will continue into the summer unless action is taken.
