La Graciosa is one of those places that have become fashionable in the last decade. Social networks, the search for tranquility, the good climate and the exceptional corners of the island are some of the reasons why it has become an increasingly demanded place. In the island port of Caleta de Sebo, the only way in and out, 103,798 people arrived during the first quarter of this year.
The eighth island, of just over 29 square kilometers, only has 718 inhabitants registered.
The systems of channeling, sewage treatment, the relocation of garbage and debris or the supply of drinking water, which has been causing problems for years, have grown at a slower rate.
The study Analysis of the carrying capacity of La Francesa beach (La Graciosa, Canary Islands, Spain): a diagnostic tool for the management of protected areas delved into the carrying capacity of one of the most popular beaches in La Graciosa, La Francesa, located in the south. The aim of this analysis was to provide institutions with data to take measures for its protection.
The disproportionate use of a space can be seen more easily when we talk about small extensions. Already in 2016, as stated in the aforementioned research, more than 204,929 passengers arrived at the port of Caleta de Sebo. In 2022, 558,634 passengers arrived, largely on regular transport lines.
This port is the only authorized point of entry and exit for travelers to the island. At that time, the institutions "showed a growing concern" about the consequences of an exponential increase in visitors to La Graciosa.
This island, belonging to the Chinijo Archipelago, has several protection figures. In 1993, it was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. It is also part of the world Geopark formed between Lanzarote and the Chinijo Archipelago. However, this study by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria already showed a few years ago that the tourist growth of the island was negatively impacting its environment.
The presence of recreational boats and excursions at sea is an increasingly frequent sight. At the same time, yachts or jet skis dock in the area, while visitors practice snorkel, listen to music on speakers and a man fishes on the shore. The image could take us to any summer day on any tourist beach in the country, but no, we are talking about Easter in La Graciosa, in particular, in La Francesa.
"Beaches play an essential role in many tourist destinations," the study emphasized. This analysis highlighted the “intensive use of the beach.” On it, recreational boats not only anchor, but also “fill the intertidal-subtidal interface with objects.” The research emphasizes that human pressure on this small cove "may be significantly altering a protected area of great environmental value.”
In that same space where recreational boats dock, visitors spread their towels, or others urinate, a psammophilic habitat "of high ecological value, formed by mound dunes and aeolian mantles" coexists, according to the research signed jointly by the doctoral student in Global Oceanography from the University of Las Palmas Eloy José del Rosario and the professor of Geography and History Emma Pérez-Chacón.
That same document recommended the adoption of measures to compatibilize the conservation of this beach-dune ecosystem with leisure activities.
What is the carrying capacity of La Francesa?
"After the number of tourists visiting it increased, it began to show signs of environmental deterioration," reflects the aforementioned study. To conclude what the island's carrying capacity was, the researchers carried out an exhaustive work with a high-precision GPS. Through space, the resting area available on La Francesa beach was determined, divided by three coves.
To carry out the second part of the analysis, it was based on the Cifuentes method, a way of calculating the carrying capacity taking into account several conditions: physical, real and effective load. The physical load takes into account the maximum number of people that the space can accommodate, 994 people. The real load points to the physical, ecological and social variables, decreased to 622 people.
According to the World Tourism Organization already in 1999, the carrying capacity was the “the maximum number of people who can visit a tourist destination at the same time without endangering the physical, economic or sociocultural environment and causing a decrease in the level of satisfaction of visitors”.
To conclude, the effective load is delimited based on the services offered on the beach. The more services, the greater its capacity. The study collected a total of 24 indicators, of which the beach only has four. Among them, it took into account the lack of bathrooms or bins. "The consequences on the ecosystem of user waste, if there are no toilets, can be serious," the study points out, thus affecting the vegetation of the supratidal zones.
In conclusion, the research estimated that the carrying capacity of La Francesa beach is 106 people per day. To the passenger arrivals at the port of Caleta de Sebo, the document adds the tourists who stay overnight on the island, the residents, plus the recreational boats and assures that "it is foreseeable that La Francesa beach is currently supporting a number of visitors greater than 108 people per day, especially between the months of June and October."
The conclusions of the research reveal that "exceeding this number of visitors would not only reduce the quality of the visit, since those who come there expect to find a natural, uncrowded environment, but also puts at risk the natural value of a very scarce ecosystem in the Canary Islands"
La Graciosa's competition lies with different organizations. It is state-owned, except for Caleta de Sebo and Pedro Barbas, the two populated areas of the island, which belong to the autonomous body of the National Parks. But its planning and management depends on the Cabildo de Lanzarote.
