Arona opens 107 sanctions over illegal settlement at Guaza in south Tenerife
The Arona City Council is processing 107 urban planning enforcement cases linked to the illegal settlement of Los Vivitos, near Guaza and close to the TF-1 motorway, in the south of Tenerife. The cases form part of more than 290 active files relating to irregular developments in Arona, including 190 cases in Lomo Negro, the municipality’s largest illegal settlement.
Lomo Negro, located next to El Fraile and home to over 1,500 residents, has been growing for more than three decades on rural land. In 2024, several homes received demolition orders requiring land to be restored to its original state.
However, in April 2025 the Canary Islands Environmental Protection Agency suspended the first demolitions due to safety concerns after neighbourhood protests. The matter now lies with the courts, which must decide how the orders will be enforced.
Early Intervention Strategy at Los Vivitos
Los Vivitos, where roughly 200 people live, has expanded quickly in recent months. The council says 96% of the 107 cases there have already been formally notified, allowing the administrative process to move forward.
The aim is to intervene early, before the area becomes a fully consolidated illegal settlement like Lomo Negro, or before further land subdivision makes enforcement more complex.
In addition, the council has formally ordered the owners of one affected plot, two people who share the property, to comply with legal maintenance obligations, including fencing the area and securing all access points.
Municipal Responsibility Confirmed
The director of the regional environmental agency, Montserrat Ortega, said the issue must be approached from both a social and municipal perspective. After technical meetings with legal specialists, the agency concluded that because most of the constructions in Los Vivitos are makeshift structures or non-consolidated buildings, the responsibility for enforcement lies with Arona’s municipal urban planning department.
A Wider Debate on Informal Settlements and Housing Pressure
The rise of unofficial, informal, or illegal settlements in the Canary Islands is often linked to the region’s housing crisis and tourism-driven pressure on rental markets. Other municipalities have faced similar issues, such as Adeje with the shanty town near the Bahia Principe hotel.
San Bartolomé de Tirajana in Gran Canaria has combined urban enforcement with social measures to address homelessness. A 2025 social report found that 86.5% of homeless individuals in the municipality came from outside the area, suggesting a broader regional movement rather than a purely local issue.
With demolition orders still pending in Lomo Negro and the rapid growth of Los Vivitos, Arona aims to contain the expansion of illegal settlements before they become entrenched.
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