From Monday (January 3), the Cabildo (local government) of Gran Canaria will restrict access to the Roque Nublo Protected Area to ensure its sustainability. 

A new reservation system aims to reduce the number of visitors to the top Canary island site at any given time from 2,000 to a maximum of 300.

These measures will also involve reordering public transport to aid conservation efforts, improving road safety and enhancing visitor experience, the Cabildo announced on Friday (January 31). 

The primary goal of these measures is to protect Roque Nublo and its natural surroundings, as well as prevent overcrowding. 

They also aim to eliminate road blockages caused by illegal parking and ensure emergency services have unobstructed access when required. 

To address the traffic chaos, parking will no longer be allowed in the immediate vicinity of Roque Nublo. The main parking area at Degollada de la Goleta, the primary access point, will be closed.

Instead, two new parking areas have been designated in the Tejeda town centre and Cruz de Los Llanos. Visitors will be able to reach the Roque Nublo trailhead via shuttle buses – managed by the Cabildo in collaboration with Global, the island’s public transport provider.

The journey from Tejeda will take approximately 30 minutes, while from Cruz de Los Llanos, it will be around 10 minutes.

Global’s Line 18 service will also be adjusted to connect the southern part of the island  – departing from and returning to Maspalomas Lighthouse – with Roque Nublo three times a day. This will introduce a new stop at the protected area, allowing tourists and other visitors to reach the trailhead directly.

Buses will run every 30 minutes between 9:30am and 6pm, except at 10am, 12pm, 2:30pm and 4pm. Fares will be similar to other Global routes and will include existing subsidies. 

Reservations for visits to this natural monument can be made on the website www.grancanariasenderos.com every day from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Each visitor can request up to five reservations, with cancellations permitted up to three days in advance. 

Schools may visit Roque Nublo with groups of up to 60 people per day, while tourist excursion companies will have a quota of 30 visitors every two hours.

Located in the central municipality of Tejeda, Roque Nublo stands at a height of 80 metres and is 1,813 metres above sea level. It is a site of special significance to the island’s residents and was an ancient sacred place for aborigines, who would gather to worship their god, Acoran.

Last year, the site struggled to control the high levels of rubbish left there, including bags full of wipes, toilet paper, sanitary products and containers. This rubbish, and the increased human footprint, have been putting the endemic species found in Gran Canaria’s natural landscapes at risk. 

The Minister of Environment, Climate, Energy and Knowledge of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Raúl García Brink, accused some visitors of a “lack of civility”, who have “no consideration for the common space, showing their poor education and little respect for nature and the island community, leaving a mark of ‘garbage’ in places of great landscape and environmental value”. 

The president of the Cabildo, Antonio Morales, has indicated that an eco-tax for Roque Nublo visits is being considered. However, it has not yet been implemented to avoid delaying the access restrictions.