I talked to a cab driver in La Palma last year. He was proud of his island—the greenest, the most untouched. He pointed to a new hotel being built on a cliff. “That,” he said, “is where we used to go fishing as kids. Now it’s a resort for people who want to look at our view from a pool.”
It stings, right? Because we’ve all been that tourist at some point. We’ve all asked a local for their “hidden spot” only to tell everyone about it later. The Canary Islands are now the victim of their own paradise status. They’re too good at being good.
And let’s be honest: the infrastructure can’t keep up. Imagine trying to flush a toilet on a plane with 300 people using it at once. That’s what happens to the sewage systems in these places during peak season. Not glamorous, but absolutely true.
So, What Do We Do? (Besides Cry)
Look, I’m not saying you should cancel your flight. But maybe treat the Canary Islands like a moody, beautiful person—you have to respect its boundaries. Go in shoulder season. Skip the famous beaches that look like a human soup. Rent a car and drive to a town nobody has heard of.
Canary Islands placed on 2026 'no travel' list as Spain warning issued
Fodor’s “No List” is basically a travel intervention. It’s your friend telling you, “I love you, but you’re being that guy.” The guy who shows up to a party, drinks all the punch, and then complains the music is too loud. We are the punch-drinkers in this scenario.
The goal isn’t to never visit. The goal is to visit like a good guest. You know, the kind who helps with the dishes. The Canary Islands don’t need more tourists; they need better ones. Ones who understand that a vacation is not a conquest.
