The Tenerife Cabildo (Island Council) has announced major new measures at one of its most popular tourist hotspots in a bid to better protect it from visitors. For the first time, Teide National Park will be monitored around the clock, with the number of officers being increased sevenfold after years of complaints of poor control, illegal camping and damage caused by visitors.

The number of dedicated environmental officers has been increased from just two to 14, who will now be based permanently in the park. They will also be joined by night patrols, another new measure, working alongside the SEPRONA (the specialised environmental unit of the Guardia Civil) and local police. As a result, the park will now be watched 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Under previous rules, large parts of Teide were left without supervision after dark. This led to people breaking the rules, including staying overnight illegally and damaging protected areas.

Tenerife’s island president, Rosa Dávila, admitted the park had been “neglected” for years and needed urgent action, according to Canarian Weekly.

Additionally, officials have hinted that more changes are on the way, including possible booking systems and limits on the number of people who can visit certain areas. These measures aim to reduce traffic, overcrowding and pressure on the environment.

Mount Teide is not only one of Tenerife’s biggest attractions, but also Spain’s most visited national park. With over four million visitors annually (a record 5.2 million in 2024), authorities have said stronger controls are needed to protect both the landscape and public safety. The new patrols are also hoped to provide quicker responses to emergencies, fires or environmental damage.

This is not the first time Teide National Park has been subjected to new measures in the battle against mass tourism. A major shift occurred on January 1, when the park transitioned from entirely free access to a fee-based model for certain high-sensitivity areas. Non-residents must now pay a fee – ranging from €10 to €25 (£8.70-21.70) – to access the summit trail and other regulated paths.

Tenerife residents generally maintain free access, while other Canary Island residents pay a reduced local rate. The revenue is legally earmarked for the maintenance of the park and the hiring of additional environmental monitors.

On top of this, to combat parking chaos and CO2 emissions, the park has implemented strict traffic management, restricting private vehicle access to certain high-traffic zones during peak hours and encouraging visitors to use electric shuttle buses from hubs outside the park.

In many areas, parking without a pre-booked digital reservation is now prohibited and carries heavy fines of up to €600 (£521). Wooden fences have also been installed along many roadsides to prevent illegal verge parking, which was a major cause of soil erosion.