The Adeje City Council has officially granted a building permit for the Cuna del Alma tourism project, meaning construction can begin on part of the development in El Puertito in the south of Tenerife.
The announcement will come as a blow to protesters and activists as the project has been surrounded by ongoing controversy over environmental concerns. Scientists and environmental activists have been campaigning for over two years to halt the project.
The initial phase of the project involves a 45,534-square-metre plot designated for tourism, with plans to construct 314 accommodation units.
However the overall infrastructure plan, by developer Segunda Casa Adeje, envisions a staggering 430,000-square-metre development with over 3,600 tourist beds. The project also involves a pool built into the rock, a sea-view restaurant a spa and children’s club.
The Adeje municipality, led by Mayor José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga, has set an 18-month deadline for the start of construction and a 48-month timeframe for completion. The total cost of the first phase is estimated at €43.22 million, just under £36 million.
The decision follows a recent move by the local council to authorise the transplantation of “viborina triste”, a highly protected plant found on the site, which had led to a temporary suspension of construction for nearly two years. The plant is listed in the Canary Islands Catalogue of Protected Species, and its presence in the area has raised concerns over the environmental impact of the development.
The project has also faced legal hurdles over the past months, with three open cases during the tenure of former Canary Islands President Ángel Víctor Torres between 2019 and 2023.
One of the major controversies involved the intentional destruction of an archaeological site discovered during the project, for which a nearly £499,500 fine had been proposed. However, the fine expired on August 31, 2023, due to a lapse in enforcement by the new administration under the Canary Islands Coalition (CC).
The Canary Islands Agency for Environmental Protection (ACPMN) also dropped its case against the project for lacking an environmental impact report. The council also argued that the development is in the public interest and essential for ensuring residents’ right to decent housing, even though Cuna del Alma does not include residential components.
The Cuna del Alma project, along with another planned hotel development at La Tejita beach in Granadilla de Abona, sparked protests across the archipelago earlier this year. On April 20, demonstrators took to the streets with slogans including: “We want to be hosts, not slaves” and “Paradise is not built with concrete”.
This culminated in a 20-day hunger strike, with activists demanding the suspension of both projects over their perceived environmental harm.
Then, on August 10, a stream of angry protests stormed the area which has been branded “the last undeveloped part of the island”. GeoTenerife, who have long opposed the major plans, said the development is aimed at “rich tourists”, and is not “sustainable”. They claimed marine wildlife could be impacted and that Tenerife’s heritage will be “bulldozed” to make room for holidaymakers.
The protesters were seen pulling down a hotel development barrier as they paraded through the area.
In an interview with ITV, leaders of GeoTenerife claimed “It is a community here – it is a way of life here that is going to be destroyed.”
They argued the developers were planning to “completely cover up this natural beach with imported sand” and that the project was not sustainable.
The Cuna del Alma developers, however, told ITV that the project would be built with respect for the environment and integration of the landscape. They added that the new development would result in 750 jobs, that the sand would be entirely natural and that the area on which the project will be built is not protected.
On its website, Cuna del Alma’s “Eco Manifesto” claims the build will be “Respectful with its environment, sustainable, to be enjoyed by present and future generations.”
