Tourists to be hit by ‘green tax’ when visiting in Spain’s tallest mountain

TOURISTS visiting Spain’s tallest mountain are set to be hit by a new ‘green tax’ from 2026.

Visitors to Teide National Park in Tenerife will have to stump up the new levy from the beginning of next year, the island’s governing council announced this week, following complaints of ‘overtourism’ at the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Approximately four million people visit the park every year, attracted by Mount Teide, Spain’s tallest mountain at 3,715m above sea level.

Locals and environmentalists have accused tourists of parking their vehicles illegally, using unmarked trails, climbing fragile formations and stealing volcanic rock as a souvenir.

READ MORE: Teide National Park: Tenerife’s must visit UNESCO World Heritage Site

Alongside the new eco-tax, Rosa Davila, the head of Tenerife’s governing council, said that security cameras will be installed and stricter traffic controls enforced in order to control the number of visitors to the park.

Even buses used to shuttle tourists to the park will be made smaller as part of efforts to clamp down on visitor numbers.

“Climbing to the peak should be an orderly privilege, not a risk to the environment”, Davila told a regional debate earlier this week. 

All profits from the tax, which will only apply to non-residents, will be re-invested into conservation efforts.