Beach in Tenerife closed for weeks for disgusting reason | World | News

One of the most popular beaches in Spain’s Canary Islands was closed for most of the summer for a disgusting reason.

Playa Jardín in the north of Tenerife is known for its distinctive black sand, volcanic rock and views of Mount Teide. Located in Puerto de la Cruz, the beach has been one of Tenerife’s most popular tourist destinations since the 1960s.

However, the beach has been closed to bathing for several weeks due to a broken underwater sewage pipe. The break – in a sewage system that drains close to the coast – has led to faecal contamination of the water around the beach.

The beach was first cordoned off on July 4, Canarian Weekly reported. In the two months since then, only a handful of visitors have ventured past the warning signs to sunbathe on the famous black sand.

The slow progress in fixing the problem has angered tourists and residents. On Friday, local authorities met at Puerto de la Cruz Town Hall to assess the situation. The Government of the Canary Islands and the Island Council of Tenerife analyzed 15 key locations between Punta Brava and San Telmo to determine water quality.

An investigation into possible sources of marine pollution is currently underway, while land and water conditions are being studied. It is hoped that assessing water quality and identifying potential leaks will lead to better pollution control.

Local authorities report that efforts to repair the burst pipe have been plagued by problems. Blanca Pérez, Tenerife’s councillor for the environment and sustainability, said underwater repair work began in August but was delayed due to technical difficulties.

Now, an emergency decree has been issued to allocate €201,000 (£169,754) for immediate repairs to the pipeline on land and at sea. Pérez confirmed that these efforts will continue – and the aim is to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Puerto de la Cruz Mayor Leopoldo Afonso said the municipality had made efforts to improve its wastewater management system, including plans for more pumping stations.

Fecal contamination is a recurring problem at Playa Jardín – and at other popular beaches in Tenerife. In the south of the island, El Médano and La Pinta were closed several times this summer due to high concentrations of pathogens in the water.

This comes after four beaches were closed on another Canary Island due to an oil spill. The spill, which began in the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Wednesday, reached the coast of Telde on Thursday and later led to the closure of La Restinga, El Barranquillo, Palos and San Borondón, which remained closed to tourists and locals throughout the weekend. The Canary Islands Emergency and Rescue Group (GES) continued to monitor the oil spill on Sunday, September 9.

The state of emergency was declared on Thursday after three tons of diesel from the Virgen del Pino dock in the port of La Luz in Las Palmas caused a large oil slick that reached the capital’s coast. When the emergency protocol was activated at 1 p.m., the oil slick had already reached Bocabarranca beach and was moving southeast, threatening coastal ecosystems.