Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council announces penalties for those who ignore the prohibition of access to Benijo Beach, after evicting nearly a hundred users. The area has been closed since 2024 due to landslide risks.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife Local Police has announced that it will report all individuals who access Benijo Beach, in the Anaga massif, due to repeated violations of the prohibition in place since 2024 due to serious landslide risks. The decision comes after nearly a hundred users had to be evicted yesterday afternoon, an operation supported by the municipal Drone Unit (UDRON).
The Security Department of the capital's council has confirmed that, in addition to fines, risk signage will be reinforced and the presence of officers will be increased, with special support from police drones. The aim is to curb a situation that has been recurring for two years and requires constant interventions in an area closed for safety reasons.
The closure of the beach was ordered by the City Council in 2024, after instability was detected in the slope dominating that stretch of coastline. Landslides affect both access and the sand itself, and authorities consider the risk of accidents to be high and constant. Despite this, many continue to jump the fence and enter the water.
Vandalism and Costs for Municipal Finances
Since the closure was decreed, Local Police and other municipal services have had to intervene numerous times. Not only due to the presence of bathers but also for damage caused to signage and access barriers. Municipal sources estimate numerous episodes of vandalism have been recorded in the area, a behaviour that, in addition to the economic cost to public funds, poses an additional danger to those unaware of the prohibition who access the beach unknowingly.
The Mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, has called for civic responsibility. “From the City Council, we call for responsibility. The risk is real at this point on the coast of Santa Cruz, where numerous landslides have occurred, which is why access was closed to prevent any type of accident,” said the mayor.
For her part, the Councillor for Security, Gladis de León, has appealed to the “common sense” of those approaching the Anaga coast. The councillor explained that, alongside the fines, the UDRON will play a key role in surveillance, as it allows for the detection of individuals on the beach and the ordering of evictions without the need for officers to descend to the sand, thus avoiding risks for the police themselves.
Drones with Messages in Spanish and English
The use of drones is not new in Benijo. Since the closure, the UDRON has flown over the area multiple times, both to locate possible offenders and to document the landslides that have occurred. One of the most striking tools is a preconfigured audio that pilots play from the drone and which is emitted on a loop while the aircraft flies over the beach.
The message, recorded in Spanish and English, instructs users to leave the area and collect their belongings. According to police sources, the drones usually maintain an altitude of about 25 meters, adjusting to wind conditions and ambient noise so that the instructions are audible. This same technique has been employed in other parts of the municipality where it has been necessary to evacuate people from risk areas.
The measure aims to deter those who, despite warnings, continue to endanger their safety and that of others. Benijo Beach, a site of great natural beauty in the Anaga Rural Park, has become a focal point of conflict between safety and tourist appeal. Authorities remind that the prohibition will remain in place until the stability of the terrain is guaranteed.
For the residents of Santa Cruz, the situation serves as a reminder that accessing certain natural spaces entails responsibility. The City Council insists that fines are not an end in themselves but a tool to protect lives and prevent further damage to natural heritage. Meanwhile, the UDRON will continue patrolling the skies of Anaga, with its clear message: stay off the beach.
The next planned action is the renewal of signage and reinforcement of perimeter closures, a task that will be undertaken in the coming weeks. Officers will maintain surveillance operations, especially during peak hours, and do not rule out identifying those responsible for vandalism through drone recordings.
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