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A major tourist project under way in the Canary Islands is enraging locals and environmentalists, one that will see hundreds of homes built near the city of Adeje and the popular Playa de las Américas resort on the southwestern coast of Tenerife. It aims to transform a beautiful bay at El Puetito into a luxurious and intimate resort with 3,602 beds for visitors.

It is set to come at the staggering cost of around £36million. However, critics have been denouncing the project since its announcement, arguing that it will create a small town and have a severe impact on the nearby ecology. In the latest development, it has been revealed that the Canary Islands Government has permitted the luxury project to construct a swimming pool and restaurant within a protected coastal zone, arguing that this will benefit the region's tourism industry.

The decision, Canarian Weekly reported, contradicts an earlier internal report from the Directorate for Coasts, which warned that the pool, restaurant and other leisure features planned for the resort did not need to be in the protected strip and could be built elsewhere. It also stated that the facilities did not provide any essential service to the public coastal area, where construction is typically very restricted.

However, after the developer Segunda Casa Adeje SL challenged the findings, the government changed its stance. The company argued that the pool could be classified as an outdoor sports facility and that the small Puertito beach needed more restaurant services during the summer. Government officials later agreed, saying that hospitality services are important to the Islands' tourism economy.

As a result, the regional director for Costas, Antonio Acosta, approved the works on an over 480,000-square-foot plot where nearly 26,000 square feet fall inside the protected coastal zone.

The Cuna del Alma project has become a focal point for mass protests and other extreme forms of activism. These demonstrations form part of a broader movement called "Canarias tiene un límite" ("The Canary Islands have a limit"), which opposes the current tourism model, as residents argue that it is destroying Tenerife's natural resources and making life unaffordable.

The project is also accused of destroying populations of the viborina triste (Echium triste) - a protected plant species. The development impacts the Teno-Rasca Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a Natura 2000 site, home to dolphins, loggerhead turtles and other marine species. Critics have also argued that the large resort will overwhelm already scarce water resources on the island.

In April 2024, the tension reached a peak when members of the activist group Canarias Se Agota ("The Canaries are Running Out") launched a 19-day hunger strike. Demonstrators called for an immediate halt to the construction of the project, as well as the Hotel de la Tejita.

In October, Greenpeace officially listed Cuna del Alma as one of the 12 major threats to biodiversity in Spain, accusing the project of "ecocide" and criticising the Government's complicity. Environmental groups, such as Salvar La Tejita and Tagoror Permanente, have also filed criminal lawsuits against the Mayor of Adeje and the developers, alleging administrative corruption and environmental crimes.

Cuna del Alma's developer, Segunda Casa Adeje has said it has an "eco-manifest", which vows to protect and restore the area's natural environment.

Its website reads: "We believe in a tourism model that applies itself in harmony with its surroundings. Respectful with its environment, sustainable, to be enjoyed by present and future generations.

"We are passionate about Tenerife, its people, its volcanic landscape and amazing contrasts. We will prioritize local products and put its people first, creating around 750 new jobs in the process. We will always follow environmental focused planning and protect biodiversity. Integration is part of our DNA. We are aiming at restoring a natural balance, reviving a landscape damaged by humans while applying low-density architecture at the same time.

"We value the sea and its contribution to life and beauty. We are striving to include a recovery programme to restore the original beach, preserve the local marine environment, and protect the 'boba' turtle. We want our social and environmental commitments to become our legacy, enjoyed by generations to come. Setting a benchmark for sustainability by building with ecological materials, based on international practices."