Holidaymakers heading for the northern coast of Tenerife have a new rulebook to learn. La Laguna City Council approved a sweeping ban on 7 October covering every beach and natural pool along its coastline, with fines of up to €3,000 for anyone who breaks it.
The rules target the usual suspects — smoking, littering, camping and sleeping overnight on the sand — but they go further than most Spanish beach ordinances. Loud music is out: visitors can no longer bring speakers or any other sound equipment, except in emergencies or at officially sanctioned events. And in a detail that has caught travellers' attention, using soap, shampoo or other hygiene products in public showers and bathing areas is now specifically prohibited.
The affected spots include Bajamar beach and its adjoining natural swimming pool, a long-time favourite for a safe dip, plus the natural pools of Jover in Tejina, La Barranquera in Valle de Guerra and El Arenisco in Punta del Hidalgo. These volcanic rock pools are popular with locals and visitors alike, which is partly why the council says it needs firmer powers.
Mayor Luis Yeray Gutiérrez framed the motion as an attempt to strike a balance between letting people enjoy the coast, protecting the marine environment, and keeping the peace between beachgoers. The council calls the ban a "fundamental tool" for improving safety and health across its shoreline. Alongside the restrictions, the council wants to remove accessibility barriers — adapted bathrooms and better seating, especially during the busy season.
The crackdown fits into a bigger picture. Tenerife's municipalities have pooled resources for an €80 million (around £70 million) plan to clean up the island's coastline, with a "zero waste" goal. The island has faced criticism over sanitation: several beaches have had to close on health grounds, and environmental group Ecologistas en Acción handed out 48 "black flags" in its 2025 report for Spain's most problematic beaches — 12 for spills and wastewater failures, nine for biodiversity damage and five for rubbish and plastic build-up. In Tenerife, Playa Jardín was singled out over wastewater discharges linked to poor waste management.
For travellers, the practical takeaway is simple: keep music off, leave the shampoo for the hotel, take your rubbish with you and skip the beach barbecue-and-overnight plans. Fines of up to €3,000 make it one of the steeper penalty regimes in the Canary Islands, and it applies to the natural pools as much as the beaches — so don't assume a remote rock pool means looser rules. If you're planning a day around Bajamar or Punta del Hidalgo, go for the swimming and the scenery, not the speaker.
