Starting April 18, 2025, access to the picturesque Masca Valley in Buenavista del Norte will be limited to visitors who arrive exclusively via an official shuttle bus service. This new mobility and conservation plan, introduced by the Tenerife Cabildo, aims to alleviate traffic congestion on the narrow access roads, manage the number of visitors, and enhance the safety and sustainability of tourism in the Teno Rural Park.
The announcement came from Island President Rosa Dávila, who laid out a series of measures designed to ease the pressure on the gorge and its surrounding areas. Among these measures are visitor caps, restricted vehicle access, increased police presence, and initiatives to preserve the region's fragile ecosystem. "Masca must remain a real community, not a theme park," Dávila stated, emphasizing the need for locals to have peace and protection from the pressures of mass tourism.
Under the new system, only those who have purchased a stamped ticket through the official website, www.caminobarrancodemasca.com, will be allowed to enter the gorge. These tickets, which cover both entry to the hiking trail and the shuttle journey, will be strictly enforced. Access will be denied to anyone without a valid ticket, and private vehicles or unauthorized buses will no longer be permitted.
The shuttle service will operate on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with four 18-seater minibuses departing every twenty minutes from a designated stop in Santiago del Teide. Visitors are advised to park in the town center and walk approximately five to eight minutes to the bus stop. Ticket pricing is structured to accommodate different residents: Tenerife residents can access the gorge for free, Canary Islands residents will pay €5, while non-residents will incur a fee of €38 for adults and €19 for children.
For those who do not complete the round-trip hike, there will be an option to exit the gorge by boat to Los Gigantes, where taxis or a reinforced Titsa bus service will be available for their return. To further mitigate congestion, the Cabildo is collaborating with traffic authorities to implement a one-way system for authorized buses, entering from Buenavista del Norte and exiting toward Santiago del Teide. Plans are also in motion for infrastructure improvements, including the creation of new lay-bys along the road and potential land expropriations if necessary.
Since July of last year, daily access to the gorge has been limited to 275 visitors, a significant reduction from previous numbers that exceeded 100,000 annually. The site will continue to offer guided descents, with approximately 11 groups per day, each capped at 25 people.
However, not all local stakeholders are pleased with the new shuttle model. On April 3, 2025, the political party Sí se Puede expressed its discontent with the shuttle bus system, which they argue starts from Santiago del Teide and fails to benefit the municipality of Buenavista. Antonio González, the party spokesperson, remarked, "We do not call for mass tourism in the municipality; we demand what we consider fair. The visit to Masca must positively impact the local economy."
Sí se Puede contends that the tourist experience should not be solely linked to the southern part of the island, advocating instead for the economic focus to shift toward Isla Baja. González criticized the Cabildo's decision to reinforce transport only from Santiago del Teide as disproportionate, stating, "The only possible interpretation of this measure is that the insular entity is only concerned with facilitating the tourist experience without considering the needs and development of the population of Buenavista del Norte."
Furthermore, they pointed out that none of the new services originate from Buenavista, meaning the municipality housing the tourist attraction will not experience any positive economic effects from the initiative. Sí se Puede believes that investments in services and infrastructure should prioritize the quality of life for local residents, not just tourism. They suggested that enhancing the bus line connecting Buenavista with Masca would be beneficial for the local population and allow more individuals to visit Masca from Buenavista.
González also noted that the investment by the Cabildo to increase weekend transport to Masca should be shared between Buenavista del Norte and Santiago del Teide. He highlighted the example of Punta de Teno, where access regulation and public transport have been implemented solely to improve the tourist experience, neglecting the local fishing and recreational activities previously enjoyed by the community.
In addition to advocating for better transport services, Sí se Puede is calling for improvements to existing infrastructure in Buenavista, such as the Punta de Teno pier, ensuring that these developments meet the demands of the local citizens. They also raised concerns about parking issues created by the public transport service to Punta de Teno, suggesting that this has merely shifted congestion from one area to another.
As the Tenerife Cabildo moves forward with its plans to manage tourism in the Masca Valley, the local community's concerns regarding equitable benefits and infrastructural support remain at the forefront of the discussion. The challenge will be finding a balance between preserving the area's natural beauty and ensuring that local residents can also thrive amidst the influx of tourists.
