The General Directorate of Coasts, dependent on the Canary Islands Government, has authorized the sea accesses of the illegal Sandos Papagayo hotel, formerly Papagayo Arena, in Playa Blanca, ignoring the criteria of the Coast Directorate of the central Executive, which issued an unfavorable report. This has been confirmed by both organizations to La Voz.
According to the mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda, on the Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero radio station, the property plans to create two new sea accesses from the illegal hotel, which have already received the approval of the regional Executive, despite the contrary criteria of the state Directorate. However, this authorization does not imply any change in the irregular situation of the hotel complex, despite the claims of the Canarian Coalition in the municipality.
CC in the Yaiza City Council stated in a press release this Wednesday that with this authorization "the necessary conditions are already in place to grant the definitive license to said establishment" and that this resolution "reinforces the legality of the actions carried out around the hotel." In addition, they asked the mayor if he is going to grant the license to the Papagayo Arena, to which Noda replied forcefully: "What has been authorized, which has not yet reached us through formal and registry channels, has nothing to do with the legalization," stressed the southern official in the morning show Buenos días, Lanzarote.
"If a hotel has to be torn down, I can assure you that I will be the first one there with a pick and shovel," Noda said during his radio intervention. He also defended himself against the statement issued by the Canarian Coalition: "Why don't they ask about the Sonbou, about the demolition where we are going to allocate funds? About how the legalization of the Princesa Yaiza is going? Maybe it's hitting close to home."
He also emphasized that the authorization of these two sea accesses does not imply that the property does not have to clear the public access road that it crossed with the construction of the hotel. "It is still built and they have to free it and in fact it is the main obstacle to the possible regularization of that hotel together with the new Coast demarcation, which we have already appealed," he stressed.
Last summer, in the middle of August, the Government group of the Cabildo de Lanzarote (Canarian Coalition and the Popular Party) approved the tourist authorization of this controversial illegal hotel, which together with the Son Bou and the Princesa Yaiza, both owned by Juan Francisco Rosa, has not yet legalized its situation. In addition, they depend on the Yaiza City Council granting its hotel license.
The license of the Sandos Papagayo was declared null by the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands in 2007 for committing serious urban planning infractions, including appropriating a public road to a beach and occupying more space than allowed. Then, in 2016 it was also declared criminal by the Provincial Court of Las Palmas, which sentenced the former mayor of Yaiza José Francisco Reyes to six years in prison.
Noda has highlighted that one of the accesses was already approved by Coasts in the Partial Plan of Las Coloradas, while the other "they are going to create more towards the cliff." It should be remembered that the Sandos Papagayo is located next to the Natural Monument of Los Ajaches, where the beaches of Papagayo are located, a protected natural space. Meanwhile, he has indicated that "the one that is currently obstructed is still there and will have to be freed and cleared."
In the last legislature, the island Government led by Dolores Corujo (PSOE) asked the Justice for the sealing of the establishment and tried to carry out its demolition. However, the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands dismissed its demolition and urged the Yaiza consistory to continue with its "legalization."
During all these years, the establishment has remained open to the public and hosting tourists despite not having any authorization to do so. In addition, it has a demolition order issued by the Yaiza City Council in March 2016, during the mayoralty of Gladys Acuña.
Likewise, the civic association El sol sale para todos filed a complaint last April 2024 with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office against the Yaiza City Council and the Government of the Canary Islands for their inaction regarding the illegal hotel that has continued to operate for 17 years in the tourist town of Playa Blanca.
