parking chaos radazul tenerife

‘Madness’ on Tenerife coast as residents fight for parking

‘Madness’ on the coast: Radazul residents demand parking solutions

Residents of Radazul, a coastal settlement in the municipality of El Rosario in Tenerife, are complaining about a severe lack of parking spaces, particularly on days when the beaches are busiest. They say that visitors arriving for a swim leave local residents without a parking option, and describe the situation as “chaos” that repeats itself frequently. Locals are now demanding a solution.

A popular spot with a population problem

This stretch of coastline is not only densely populated but also one of the most popular and frequented bathing areas in Tenerife’s metropolitan zone. Situated just eight kilometres from the island’s capital, Santa Cruz, it attracts a daily flow of bathers, visitors, and businesses – including boats operating from the local marina – all competing for space with permanent residents.

Changes to parking layout fail to deliver more spaces

In 2023, El Rosario town council altered the parking arrangement on Avenida de Colón, the main street of this residential area, as part of a water mains upgrade. Resident Justus Weweler understands the need for the works but criticises the outcome. “Before, there were cars parked on both sides, and now there’s only one side,” explains Weweler. “It’s more organised, but it hasn’t created more spaces for cars to park.” He says that what happens on his street every day “is madness”, especially at weekends. “More and more people are looking for parking, and when the weather is good, even more come to the beach and try to leave their car here.”

Council versus residents: Is the problem ‘occasional’ or ‘every day’?

El Rosario council states that the Local Police carry out special patrols daily along the entire coastline, particularly on Avenida de Colón. It also insists that traffic congestion is “occasional” – a view that residents dispute. Weweler maintains the problem occurs “every day.” “Those of us who live here simply cannot find anywhere to park. The street is full of people driving slowly looking for a space, and that even delays us getting home. When we try to leave our homes by car, we have to be patient because of all the vehicles waiting for a parked car to pull out,” he adds.

Paid parking is always full; public transport seen as part of the answer

Radazul does have a pay-and-display car park near the marina, but it is permanently full. Weweler, who has lived in Radazul since 2022, believes the solution lies in building another paid car park for visitors. “In Santa Cruz, I pay to park in all the underground car parks. Why aren’t there more spaces like that here? People who come here congest the area and leave rubbish. Let them pay for it,” he proposes. He also suggests another solution: improving public transport. He wants the local Titsa bus service to run more frequently so that a larger proportion of people coming for a swim in this part of the metropolitan coastline give up using their private cars.

Summer special operations and the ‘double-parking’ incident

El Rosario town council, governed with an absolute majority by Escolástico Gil (Iniciativa por El Rosario-Verdes), runs a special summer operation every year due to the increase in visitors to bathing areas. This involves the Local Police and Civil Protection volunteers. Cleaning and refuse collection services are also reinforced by the UTE Mancomunidad del Nordeste. The 2023 roadworks on Avenida de Colón created an extra 20 motorcycle parking spaces behind the bins and changed the layout of car spaces to echelon and diagonal parking. The council insists that parking gridlock in Radazul does not happen daily and points to a specific incident as evidence: a driver stopped his car on double yellow lines with hazard lights on, causing a significant tailback. A female resident filmed the scene and posted it on social media. Municipal sources confirm that the Local Police attended the scene and note that the traffic jam cleared within minutes.

Source

Scroll to Top