Lanzarote demands the reconstruction of the historic El Golfo staircase

The Canary Islands Government, the Cabildo of Lanzarote, and the Yaiza Town Hall demand the immediate reconstruction of the staircase at Playa de Abajo, demolished by Costas.

The historic staircase at Playa de Abajo, in El Golfo (Yaiza), was recently demolished by the state agency Costas, which deemed it an illegal structure. The infrastructure, built over 80 years ago by fisherman Isidro Martín, served fishermen to haul their catches and combat post-war hunger.

A symbol of survival destroyed

The staircase was not just an access point: it was a symbol of the coastal community's struggle for survival. Fishermen carved it into the volcanic rock to land fish, which fed the entire community. Its demolition has caused a wave of indignation in Lanzarote.

The builder's granddaughter, Nereida, expressed her pain at seeing the rubble. “They destroyed something that represents the history of our people from the most absolute ignorance,” she stated. She has thrown flowers into the sea as a tribute to the memory of her grandfather and all the fishermen who used that route.

Residents and environmental groups have also shown their rejection. They consider Costas's action an aberration that erases part of the island's ethnographic heritage.

The institutional response: total unity

The Canary Islands Government, the Cabildo of Lanzarote, and the Yaiza Town Hall have closed ranks. The three bodies have demanded the State undertake the immediate reconstruction of the staircase, as it was originally. “We cannot allow a living testimony of our history to be lost,” regional government sources stated.

Costas justified the demolition with documents sent from its offices in Madrid, where the staircase was classified as illegal. However, local authorities remind that the infrastructure existed long before the current coastal law and had never caused problems.

The Department of Territorial Policy has already announced it will appeal the decision and will support any initiative to restore access. The Cabildo of Lanzarote, for its part, is considering additional legal measures.

An uncertain future for the Yaiza coastline

While institutions negotiate with the State, residents of El Golfo fear that the demolition sets a dangerous precedent. “If they destroy this, what will stop them from demolishing other historic accesses?” they wonder in the village. The staircase was also a tourist attraction, widely photographed for its location above the famous green lagoon of El Golfo.

Social and political pressure is growing. A meeting is expected in the coming weeks between the Canary Government and the Ministry for Ecological Transition to address the conflict. Meanwhile, Nereida and other residents have started a petition to demand the reconstruction.

For the local fishermen, the loss is twofold: they can no longer use the access for fishing, and they see a piece of their identity erased. “My grandfather built that with his hands so we could eat,” Nereida recalls. “Now only rubble and promises remain.”