Restrictions begin on access to Volcán del Cuervo and Caldera Blanca during Holy Week

The Cabildo's forecast is that, once the service is definitively tendered, the current parking areas at the entrances to the trails will be eliminated, conditioning the visit to a prior reservation through an application

April 11 2025 (15:06 WEST)
Updated in April 11 2025 (15:08 WEST)
The pilot shuttle test at the Volcán del Cuervo and Caldera Blanca. Photo: Juan Mateos.
The pilot shuttle test at the Volcán del Cuervo and Caldera Blanca. Photo: Juan Mateos.

The Cabildo of Lanzarote and the City Council of Tinajo have launched this Friday the free shuttle bus service from Mancha Blanca to the natural spaces of Volcán del Cuervo and Caldera Blanca. The objective of this pilot test, which will last from this Friday and for the next 15 days, is to "organize the influx of visitors" and protect these natural spaces of great value.

The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, accompanied by the island councilors of Landscape and Territorial Planning, Samuel Martín and Jesús Machín, respectively, and the accidental mayor of Tinajo, Luis Pérez, visited these spaces this Thursday to explain the details of the experience.

Betancort has described the measure as "pioneering" and "historic", assuring that "this Cabildo is managing to implement a new model to enjoy the most emblematic natural spaces of the landscape heritage of Lanzarote and La Graciosa". In addition, he stressed that the objective is to advance towards sustainable mobility that contributes to eliminating the carbon footprint associated with nature tourism.

"The control of accesses, together with the use of buses and the commitment to never charge residents for this service, allows us to protect our environment without renouncing the hospitality that characterizes this island," the president stressed.

For his part, the Councilor for Landscape and Food Sovereignty, Samuel Martín, made a call for collective responsibility, inviting citizens "to be responsible and act to avoid leaving a mark today, because it will remain tomorrow." He also confirmed that this pilot experience will allow us to study and weigh the permanent implementation of the service in these and other especially sensitive natural spaces on the island.

For his part, the Councilor for Territorial Planning, Jesús Machín, wanted to highlight "the enormous work that his Area has been carrying out in recent months to carry out important island planning instruments", including the Management Plan for the Natural Park of Los Volcanes, a key tool to give legal support to this type of protection and sustainable management measures for the territory.

During the visit, the accidental mayor of Tinajo, Luis Pérez, stressed that this new management model "will also favor the local economy." He also recalled that farmers who have farms in the area will not be affected by the access restrictions.

The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, and the rest of the councilors.
The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, and the rest of the councilors.

 

 

A change of model

The regulation of access to the Volcán del Cuervo and Caldera Blanca is part of a broader strategy to change the model of mobility and land use. The Cabildo's forecast is that, once the service is definitively tendered, the current parking areas at the entrances to the trails will be eliminated, conditioning the visit to a prior reservation through an application that is already under development. In this sense, the City Council of Tinajo has already started the process of acquiring electric buses that will operate these access routes in the future.

"Last year we deployed a regular service of informants in sensitive areas, from north to south of the island, and now we face the challenge of executing this pilot test during a period of high influx of visitors such as Holy Week," added Samuel Martín.

The Cabildo has also requested the collaboration of the General Corps of the Canarian Police to reinforce surveillance and security in these areas during the busiest days, in order to guarantee the well-being of residents and tourists.

All those active leisure entities or schools, which already have authorization to access these days, will not be affected by this pioneering control.

 

 

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