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More than 130,000 furious anti-tourism protesters are taking to the streets on the Canary Islands calling for "fewer tourist apartments, more Canarian homes," ahead of the summer holiday season.
Dressed in yellow shirts and carrying placards, locals are calling on authorities to do more to limit the impact of tourism on the area.
In recent years, there has been a surge of anti-tourism protests across European holiday destinations.
Demonstraters have complained about the impact on public services, the rise in anti-social behaviour and the exasperation of a housing crisis due to properties being bought for use as holiday homes.
This is a live blog and we will bring you more throughout the day:
Tens of thousands of protesters are taking to the streets (Image: ADAM TOMS / REACH PLC)
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11 mins ago12:48 Conor Wilson
Demonstration reaches end point
The demonstration has made its way to its final destination where protesters and campaigners are set to speak from a stage and address the crowds.
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26 mins ago12:33 Conor Wilson
Protest 'a little too far'
Tourists have reacted to the protest, labelling it as "a little too far" and "funny".
Icelandic tourists Victor Gardarsson, 21 and Alex Gardarsson, 22, are visiting the island for the week and had no idea the protest was happening.
Victor told the Daily Express that he thinks that the protest is a bit over the top.
He said: “I think it’s a little bit too far. You need a little bit of tourism to grow your country. We come here and we bring money to them. You’d think in a way we’re helping them.”
When asked if tourism was seen as a threat in Iceland, Alex replied: “No, it’s a business for us.”
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44 mins ago12:15 Conor Wilson
Protest moving down Calle Valentin Sanz
The protest is now making its way down Calle Valentin Sanz as a cacophony of noise winds its way through Tenerife's streets
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46 mins ago12:13 Conor Wilson
Videos show size of protest
Videos taken from the protest show the vast size of the demonstration, with 100,000 people estimated to be in attendance.
51 mins ago12:08 Conor Wilson
Protest heading down Calle el Pilar
the huge protest continues to make its way through Tenerife's streets as armed police watch on.
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1 hour ago11:49 Conor Wilson
Some protesters yet to start the march
The vast number of protesters means that thousands are yet to leave the start point of the march.
Adam Toms, a Daily Express reporter on the ground, has described the atmosphere as "angry but happy", with many people hugging and greeting one another.
Protesters are demonstrating against local government officials and large rental companies asuch as Airbnb.
One banner can be seen reading: "“more neighbors, less air bnb” in recognition of the practise of purchasing property to use as holiday homes, depriving locals of access to homes.
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1 hour ago11:46 Conor Wilson
Local politicians come in for ciriticism
Several effigies of Rosa Dávila Mamely, President of the Tenerife Island Council can be seen dotted throughout the march.
Protesters are calling her a "trolera", loosely translated as a "fibber".
Rosa Dávila Mamely, left, has been labelled a fibber (Image: )
2 hours ago11:27 Adam Toms
Atmosphere is angry but happy
The atmosphere here is angry but also happy.
People are saying hello and hugging each other, they’re glad to be here.
Crowds are looking big although we are not sure of exact numbers just yet but the noise is deafening.
2 hours ago11:23 Conor Wilson
Thousands turnout to protest
Chants, whistles and cheering can be heard across Tenerife as protesters demonstrate against the impact of tourism.
Spain protests: Thousands turn out in march against tourists
2 hours ago11:19 Conor Wilson
The march begins
Protesters have begun a march from plaza Weyler heading downCalle Méndez Núñez with around 100,000 believed to be taking part.
Protesters are making a "deafening"noise, with cheering, drums and whistles being heard for miles around.
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2 hours ago11:10 Conor Wilson
Protesters claim that tourism is ruining environment and culture
Carla Henriquez, 38, told the Daily Expres: "Mass tourism is causing serious problems for the Canary Islands.
"It leads to water pollution, destruction of natural areas, and a huge human pressure on our ecosystems. The cost of living, especially housing, has risen dramatically, displacing local residents from their homes.
"Public services like healthcare and transport are saturated.
"At the same time, local culture is being appropriated and commercialized for the tourist, leading to a loss of identity and deep social frustration among Canarian people."
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2 hours ago11:08 Conor Wilson
'Canary Islands not for sale'
One protester can be seen holding a banner which reads: "Canary Islands are not for sale", as protesters call for an end to the practise of putting profit of the needs of locals on the island.
2 hours ago11:05 Conor Wilson
Tenerife protest one of several
The protests in Tenerife are one of several happening across Spanish islands and cities.
Protest organisers and activists are calling for a halt to "exploitative economic models" that prioritise rapid tourism growth at the expense of residents' quality of life and environmental sustainability.
They want authorities to take urgent action, and have issued a number of key demands. Some of these include stopping the construction of new hotels, introducing eco-taxes on tourists and rejecting large-scale infrastructure projects that damage the environment.
Similar protests are planned in Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera throughout the day.
2 hours ago11:00 Conor Wilson
'Paradise rotten'
The Canary Islands had more than 15 million international visitors arrive in 2024, with 6.2 million heading to Tenerife.
Protesters today can be seen describing the area as "paradise rotten by a rogue government," with some telling the Daily Express that the Canary Islands are not for sale.
Others can be seen with banner demonstrating against the expansion of airport hours.
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2 hours ago10:54 Conor Wilson
'Now is not the time to visit'
Carla Henriquez, 38, a surfer and photographer from Tenerife who is a campaigner with environmental association ATAN told the Daily Express that now is not the time to visit the Canary Islands.
She said: "We are protesting today against the current economic model which is based on mass tourism.
"It is unsustainable and deeply harmful because it is based on quantity over quality. Last year we received 18 millions of tourist and we are still the poorest region of Spain.
"Most of the profits go to large hotel chains and foreign investors, while the Canarian people are left with low wages, high living costs, and a collapsing environment.
"We are protesting because this model is pushing our islands to the limit and it is exploiting our environment, our resources and our people."
She added: "Right now is not the time to visit the Canary Islands.
"We’ve reached a critical point of saturation—our territory, resources, and infrastructure simply cannot handle more pressure. This isn’t about being against tourism itself, but the reality is that, at this moment, we don’t have the capacity to welcome more visitors.
Carla Henriquez, 38 is one of the protesters (Image: )
2 hours ago10:49 Conor Wilson
Huge demonstration expected
Around 100,000 people are expected to take to the streets of Tenerife today to protest against the impact of tourism on the region.
Carla Henriquez, 38, a surfer and photographer from Tenerife who is a campaigner with environmental association ATAN said: “Right now is not the time to visit the Canary Islands.
"We’ve reached a critical point of saturation—our territory, resources, and infrastructure simply cannot handle more pressure.”
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