A report commissioned by the Ayuntamiento of Tías has recommended that free access to Las Grietas should be ended, with only guided tours permitted to visit the strange rock formations.
Ten years ago, barely anyone knew about the picturesque canyons at the foot of Montaña Blanca, and many locals who have lived all their lives on the island had never visited them. However, the rise of independent travel and social media sites such as Instagram have turned them into an increasingly crowded tourist attraction.
Constant problems with traffic parking dangerously, incidents when tourists fell, and the risk to the rock formations themselves caused Tías to commission a report by a geologist, and one of the main recommendations is that the canyons should be cordoned off – especially the upper parts that could collapse, possibly injuring visitors.
Other recommendations include restricting access to guided tours of ten people or less, which would ensure that tourists’ behaviour would be controlled and ensure visitors would see the area as a place of geological and historical interest, instead of just a photo opportunity.
The report also calls for signage on the main road near Las Grietas to inform visitors of the location of the car parking area in San Bartolomé from where the canyons can be accessed.
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