Spanish locals plant fake pollution warnings on Canary Island beaches to keep tourists away
Tourists have been warned off popular beaches in the Canary Islands by fake signs in English claiming the water is contaminated as opposition to holidaymakers spreads in Spain.
On the Castro beach in the town of Los Realejos in Tenerife, someone put up a sign reading: âBeach closed, contaminated waterâ.
Underneath there was another message in Spanish which read: âBeach open, the contamination is the guiris en masseâ.
Guiris is a slang Spanish term for foreigners.
Anger among some residents has mounted because of rising prices for accommodation, making it harder for local people to find somewhere to live.
It comes after similar signs were discovered in Mallorca last month, warning tourists to go away.
However, authorities on the islands, whose economy depends on tourism, appealed to residents to welcome tourists.
The Canary Islands government has asked residents of the eight islands to be friendlier because this was the most popular resort in Spain with British holidaymakers.
âThe tourism phobia that is being fuelled by some sectors in the Canary Islands is beginning to get worrying,â Jessica de LeĂłn, the Canary Islandsâ tourism minister, told the Diario de Avisos newspaper.
âTourism is clashing with residents, but we must face these points of conflict and tackle them head-on, as is the case of housing.â
In Mallorca, similar fake signs have sprung up warning tourists about jellyfish and falling rocks where no danger exists.
On one beach, a sign in English read: âBeware dangerous jellyfish but below it read in Spanish: Beaches open, no guiris, no jellyfish.â
On the same beach, there was a sign which read in English: âDanger falling rocksâ, but underneath it read: âEnter, the danger is not falling rocks, it is over-tourismâ.
The signs were put up by a left-wing group called Caterva, which has campaigned to ban houses being sold to non-residents.
The organisation previously criticised the former Wimbledon winner Rafael Nadal for owning a restaurant and tourism business.
âWe carried out a protest against the over tourism in the bays of Manacor,â the group posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
âWith a bit of humour weâve put up a few posters that you can see in the photos. From Cala Morlanda to Cala Bota.â
