canary islands fodor no list 2026 overtourism

Why an American travel magazine says not to visit the Canary Islands in 2026

Canary Islands added to Fodor’s ‘no list’ for 2026

The Canary Islands are a world-class tourist destination. Known across the globe, the archipelago welcomed more than 18 million visitors in 2025 – figures that suggest it enjoys an excellent reputation abroad. However, some believe the Canary Islands are not the best place to visit in 2026. Specifically, an American travel magazine has turned its attention to the islands and is advising its readers not to travel there this year.

So while thousands of tourists are eager to come and discover natural wonders such as Mount Teide, dream beaches and the region’s rich gastronomy, this publication is focusing on overcrowding. The outlet urging its readers not to visit the Canary Islands is Fodor’s Travel, and it does so as part of its annual No List – a feature in which it highlights destinations that, for various reasons, are better avoided.

A safe destination with infrastructure – so what’s the problem?

At first glance, advising against travelling to the Canary Islands might seem odd. The archipelago offers safety, international connectivity, hotels, restaurants, leisure facilities and everything a traveller could need. So what reasons does the magazine give for staying away?

Fodor’s opens its argument with a telling line: “Behind the perfect postcard scenes in the Canary Islands, the pressure is mounting.” It then highlights the surge in tourist arrivals, the strain on the archipelago and growing complaints from locals. Indeed, it recalls the ‘Canarias tiene un límite’ (The Canary Islands has a limit) protests, where thousands of people took to the streets in Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.

Housing costs, environmental strain and traffic jams

The magazine also notes residents’ grievances related to the rise in tourism, soaring housing costs and mounting environmental pressures. And beyond these issues – which alone might deter travellers – the publication lists longer-standing problems as reasons to spend holidays elsewhere. Among them is mobility: constant traffic jams blight life on the islands.

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