This popular European island is investing €81 million into a massive coastal clean up

Tenerife, the largest, busiest and arguably the best of the glorious Canary Islands, has long been a go-to year-round destination, known for its rugged peaks, gold and black beaches, and impressive restaurant scene. 

In 2025, 16.3 million people paid the island a visit, and revenue from tourism increased by 3.9 percent on the previous year at an estimated €23.2 billion – that’s according to the Institute of Statistics. 

However, the island’s reputation has come under fire recently, due to the condition of its coasts and water management systems. In January, the European Union Court of Justice berated Spanish authorities for ‘uncontrolled urban wastewater discharges’, according to Travel Tomorrow. 

Spanish environmental NGO Ecologists in Action handed Playa Jardín (on the north coast) and Puertito de Adeje (on Tenerife’s southwest coast) two ‘Black Flags’ and no – it’s got nothing to do with the island’s volcanic sand. 

Recommended: The most underrated places to visit in Europe in 2026 according to Time Out. 

The former was closed between 2024 and mid-2025 due to inadequate infrastructure, water pollution and an E coli contamination, while the latter was condemned for poor management in light of new luxury developments and an ecologically questionable underwater garden project. 

There are serious concerns that the water and beach conditions could harm tourism to Tenerife, an industry that supports a quarter of the island’s jobs. 

So, what’s the plan? Well, around €81 million has been put aside to boost water treatment capacity, modernise outdated wastewater networks, prevent coastal discharges and improve coordination and cooperation between the island’s municipalities. 

Tenerife’s Association of Friends of Nature is pushing for more transparency on how prevalent the issue of coastal pollution really is, but Tenerife’s Councillor for Municipal Cooperation Sonia Hernández has described the plans as an ‘ambitious strategic document’.

🏞️ Check out our roundup of the best things to do in Tenerife in 2026. 

Did you see that Europe has a brand-new nature park with 150km of hiking trails – and it’s one hour from a major capital?

Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.