Holidaymakers heading to Tenerife are being warned of a ban stopping them from swimming in the sea. Brits jetting off to the Spanish island will not be able to go in the water at one particular beach.
Playa Jardin, in Puerto de la Cruz, is one of the prettiest beaches in the Canary Islands. But UK tourists are not allowed to dip their toes in the water.
The indefinite ban on bathing is due to contamination following wastewater pollution. The contamination was exposed during tests for E.coli.
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Health chiefs are now warning visitors that it could be dangerous to swim in the sea, The Sun reports. Warning signs have been posted in different languages at all entrances to the beach.
Anyone who ignores the alerts could risk catching ear, eyes, skin or nasal infections, as well as gastrointestinal diseases. The ban came into force on Thursday, July 4.
A public health report of the Government of the Canary Islands detailed the horrifying water quality. Puerto de la Cruz council said: “There is epidemiological evidence that this situation can cause gastrointestinal symptoms due to ingestion of water, as well as other types of conditions such as acute respiratory infections and infections of the ears, eyes, nasal passages and skin
“This decision will be extended indefinitely and is a measure in response to the decline in water quality that has been occurring at least since 2016 in the Playa Jardín area and, above all, in this last year 2024.” Water quality at the beach has dropped from excellent to insufficient in just eight years.
Marco González, the mayor of Puerto, raised concerns that the situation will harm tourism and damage Tenerife’s reputation. But he said the situation could change ‘if all administrations prioritise the actions that are already not only planned but also have the necessary financing’.
A thorough investigation will be launched to find any potential causes of the issue. The detailed study will look at all pumping stations and improvements needed to the local treatment plant.
Thousands of Brits travel to Puerto de la Cruz, in the north of Tenerife, to catch a glimpse of its picturesque coast. Playa Jardin his thought to be one of the town’s prettiest beaches.
Tenerife introduced a new tourist tax after locals demanded a freeze on visitors in mass anti-tourism protests. The island’s council confirmed the new tax system will come in effect from January 1, 2025.
The tax will be applied to all famous nature sites which are protected – including the volcano Mount Teide, hamlets like Masca and several rural parks.