Playa Blanca is a beautiful, well kept town – but where are the crowds of tourists? (Image: Reach plc)
The Canary Islands have collectively made a name for themselves as being one of Europe’s anti-tourism hotspots.
They are where the mass protests began, with Lanzarote being one of the first places to shout loudly about the controversial rise of Airbnbs, scarce housing, soaring rents, lack of water supply and overcrowding.
“Our eco-system is being wrecked”, campaigners have declared. Just this year, cries for change have been made in Arrecife – the home of the island’s only airport.
In Puerto del Carmen, one of Lanzarote’s more lively resorts, another protest is set to hit the streets in days, organised by campaigners Lanzarote Tiene Un Limite (Lanzarote Has A Limit).
They vow not to stop until they “achieve the change that the Canary Islands need” when placard-wielding locals take a stand on October 20.
A stunning part of Lanzarote – which appeared far quieter than expected in October. (Image: Getty)
Their name encapsulates the main message protestors want to hammer into anyone who will listen – or more importantly, the governing officials who can evaluate the situation – and do something about it.
They want to be heard and for action to be taken on the current tourism model they believe is not working for the island. They want a piece of their homes back, without the hordes of people stampeding across heritage sites, pathways, and buildings. Perhaps they want a bit more control.
I have been reporting on this issue myself for a number of months now, so I was curious to see what I’d find on a recent family holiday to Playa Blanca in Lanzarote. I expected some hostility, maybe even a sneer or two.
But this was not even close to what I experienced. It appears Playa Blanca, in October, was a relatively quiet place to visit. And the Spanish were happy to see tourists entering their shops and hotels.
Neighbouring Playa Dorada on a Saturday morning – modestly busy, but not overcrowded. (Image: Reach plc)
I’ve been to Tenerife before in October, albeit many years ago, and I remember it being busier. On this occasion, sunbed wars were not a thing and the beautiful beaches of Playa Flamingo and Dorada were far from busy.
Both my inbound and outbound flights were not full, either.
The cabin crew on the easyJet service from London Gatwick to Arrecife Airport acknowledged the rows of empty seats and urged people not to switch without consulting them first.
Of course, there could be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this – it’s October, and it’s not half-term. But, given recent reports claiming hotels are at 80 percent capacity this month, I struggled to believe it was all just a coincidence.
Had people been put off by all the noise around anti-tourism I wondered? I can certainly see how – with holidaymakers being squirted with water pistols by residents in Barcelona, Brits don’t want to come on holiday and be caught up in it all.
Canarias Libre – a nationalist movement launched decades ago, is the only graffiti seen. (Image: Reach plc)
I expected to see anti-tourism graffiti on the walls, telling me and many others to “go home”. In Playa Blanca, I saw one slogan spray painted on the outer wall of an Aldi, currently under construction.
It said “Canarias libre”, which translates to “free the Canaries”. But this is unrelated to the fresh anti-tourism movement. It is actually a political slogan that’s decades old.
Canarias Libre was a left-wing Canarian nationalist movement created in the Canary Islands just before 1960. Supporters through the years have wanted the Canary Islands to have more self-governance away from mainland Spain, with more control over its rules.
The movement may be old – but it appears it’s more relevant than ever today. Maybe more of this graffiti is scrawled along public walls in busier resorts, but as far as I could see, Playa Blanca was extremely receptive to tourists.
It’s certainly not marketed as the island’s busiest region, therefore there’s a possibility it’s not seeing the same level of overcrowding as its neighbours. There is yet to be a large-scale protest held here. But that’s not to say there won’t be.
With beautiful beaches to its name – Playa Blanca is definitely a place worth visiting. (Image: Reach plc)
The town appears clean and well-kept, with plenty of open spaces presenting opportunities for scenic views, or future construction of houses – or hotels.
A Lidl is due to open this year, and an Aldi is also being built. Is Playa Blanca on the cusp of seeing a large overhaul and subsequent (and possibly unwanted) tourism boom?
All that can be said for now is October is a fantastic time to visit this gorgeous part of the island, with restaurant tables aplenty and temperatures well into the late 20Cs for a bit of last-minute autumn sun.
As I queued to board my flight home, one woman said: “They moan about us tourists coming here for a holiday, but what would they do without us?”
The answer is not solitary – but far more complicated than she may have imagined. Brits will never stop coming to Lanzarote, and residents don’t exactly want that either.
Some 2.5 billion euros were generated from tourism for Lanzarote alone last year, so it’s in the interests of the government to launch an action plan that benefits furious locals but still makes the Canary Islands an attractive place to visit.