The south of Tenerife only achieved prosperity through mass tourism from the 1970s onwards. Starting with half a million visitors in 1968, tourism grew steadily. At the turn of the millennium, the Canary Islands recorded more than ten million visitors for the first time, with around half of them visiting the archipelago’s largest island, Tenerife.
In the 1980s, the south finally caught up with the north in terms of tourism, and its rise could no longer be halted. It was only with the economic crisis from 2008 onwards that tourism in the Canary Islands began to decline again – in some cases by up to 20 per cent. This led to mass unemployment and poverty in some regions. Among teenagers and young adults, the unemployment rate even reached more than 40 per cent – the highest in Europe.
Artificial beaches for the south of Tenerife
However, the situation is now easing again. The reason for this is the resurgence in tourism. With up to 360 days of sunshine and up to 3,200 hours of sunshine per year, the major towns in the south of the island are vying for tourists‘ favour.
In order to satisfy these demands, all environmental concerns were brushed aside and artificial beaches were created. Rock was dredged from the sea and ground into fine sand. In other parts of the island, sand was even imported from the Sahara and spread out. Large embankments now protect these artificial stretches of beach, and so the water inside these man-made beaches remains shallow even when, just a few metres away, high waves crash against the rocks and easily wash over them.
The construction of ever more luxury resorts, complete with large golf courses and swimming pool complexes, has led to growing concerns about drinking water shortages. As a result, new hotel complexes are now even having to operate their own seawater desalination plants.
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