One of the most popular beaches in Spain’s Canary Islands has been closed for most of the summer for a stomach-churning reason.
Playa Jardín, in the north of Tenerife, is known for its striking black sands, volcanic rocks, and views of Mount Teide. Located in Puerto de la Cruz, it has been one of Tenerife’s top tourist destinations since the 1960s.
However, the beach has been closed for bathing for several weeks, because of a broken underwater sewage pipe. The rupture – in a sewage system that discharges close to the shore – has caused faecal contamination of the seas around the beach.
The beach was first cordoned off on July 4, reported Canarian Weekly. In the two months since then, only a handful of visitors have ventured past warning signs to sunbathe on the famous black sands.
The slow progress being made in fixing the fault is angering tourists and residents. On Friday, local authorities met at Puerto de la Cruz Town Hall to assess the situation. The Canary Islands government and Tenerife Island Council analysed 15 key locations between Punta Brava and San Telmo to determine the water quality.
A survey of potential marine pollution sources is underway as water and land conditions are being studied. It’s hoped assessing the water quality and identifying potential possible leaks will enable better management of the contamination.
Local officials say efforts to fix the ruptured pipe have been beset with problems. Tenerife’s Councillor for Natural Environment and Sustainability, Blanca Pérez, said underwater repair work began in August but was delayed due to technical difficulties.
Now, an emergency decree has allocated €201,000 (£169,754) for immediate repairs to the pipeline, both on land and at sea. Pérez confirmed that these efforts are continuing – and the aim is to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Puerto de la Cruz’s Mayor, Leopoldo Afonso, said the municipality had made efforts to improve its wastewater management system. These include plans for more pumping stations.
Faecal contamination has been a recurring issue for Playa Jardín – and for other popular beaches on Tenerife. In the south of the island, El Médano and La Pinta have both experienced multiple closures this summer, due to high levels of pathogens in the water.
It comes as four beaches have been closed on another Canary Island due to an oil spill. The spill – which originated from the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Wednesday – reached the Telde coastline on Thursday and later led to the closure of La Restinga, El Barranquillo, Palos, and San Borondón, which remained shut to tourists and local all weekend. The Canary Islands’ Emergency and Rescue Group (GES) continued to monitor the spill on Sunday, September 9.
A state of emergency was first declared on Thursday, after three tons of diesel from the Virgen del Pino dock at the Port of La Luz in Las Palmas resulted in a large oil slick that reached the shore of the capital. By the time the emergency protocol was activated at 1pm, the slick had already reached Bocabarranca beach and was moving southeast, threatening coastal ecosystems.