The Shape Of Things To Come...

It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to hang up my guiding in Tenerife hat and to never return. Don’t get me wrong, Tenerife is amazing, and for a winter getaway where the focus is on beach lounging it’s perfect. But for a sightseeing and hiking trip, it’s become, as has much of mainland Spain, impossible to deliver a guided tour to. And it’s not me, it’s the Spanish authorities. And I fear that Spain is where the UK is heading. So I call on all experience and activity providers to resist, campaign and so maintain the freedom to travel to the places of our choice, unhindered by rules, bureaucracy and Agenda 30 nonsense.

Masca Gorge, like many natural spaces in Spain, is managed and controlled in a manner that I see coming to the UK. We saw this first at Caswell Bay with surf providers and Swansea City Council then at Dinas Rock with Natural Resources Wales effectively requiring payment for a free to use natural space. The Snowdonia Society have discussed tickets for ascending Snowdon. I’m sure they’ll revisit that, one day. The management of Masca Gorge made available tickets for the gorge two days prior to the availability, their site showing no availability at all, for any date, prior to then, and luckily we spotted this and we booked two tickets. Then we got the small print. No parking at Masca, must wear a helmet, can’t walk in trainers, no access to the beach, monitoring throughout, no boat to Los Gigantes…

I would recommend instead Northern Greece, Bulgaria and Albania. They want you to visit and have not closed the countryside to visitors.

This is my email to the management of Masca Gorge:

We won't be walking Masca Gorge as your rules are absolutely crazy! We have trekking trainers and are mountain guides and have never known such restrictive, and to be frank, stupid rules. An 8 year old is allowed but an adult in the most popular trekking trainers in the US is not? And a helmet? Totally not necessary and should not be compulsory. And no boat to Los Gigantes? Crazy stuff indeed.

I've guided Masca Gorge 7 times in the past, pre 2020, and it's a relatively easy undertaking for the experienced and also for the less experienced accompanied by a professional mountain guide. I've even guided someone with poor mobility due to arthritis and she made it with help and with a big smile.

And no access to the beach? What, you've put a fence up at the bottom? Your health and safety policies go far beyond anything that I have ever come across.

The Spanish authorities have destroyed much that was wonderful about Tenerife.

No refuge on Teide, it not having been reopened post Covid despite it being full most nights of the year pre Covid, that’s 50 people a night at £30pp being lost! You allow cable car visitors to access the summit of Teide, of course with pre booking of a ticket, and yet hikers who walk the whole way up are refused summit access. And booking is not possible for tour guides as we don't know the names of those who will book onto our tour 6 months in advance and so we cannot say we will summit as we do not know if tickets will be available. Further, how do hikers know precisely when they will summit? What if they miss their time slot? Denied access!

Garachico pools closed since at least 2017. Why? If the pools are unsafe why not close the numerous similar pools that you can find elsewhere on the island? Indeed, why not be totally risk averse and close everything!

Punto Teno not accessible by car. Why? But you can get the shuttle bus. Or travel the road after 7pm, in the dark…

I used to bring groups to Tenerife, adding to the tourism economy, several times each and every year. I don't anymore...

It seems the graffiti we see across Tenerife, 'tourists go home' is endorsed by the Tenerife authorities.