The Canary Islands has recently become a common ground for unusual tourist accommodation offered on online platforms, sometimes bordering on the surreal. This time, it's not rooftop tents, containers in neglected plots, or beds in a disused furniture shop, but a wooden shack with a bucket for the toilet promoted as an "eco-cabin" or "Sky Cabin" for 51 euros per night.
The Airbnb listing displays a small triangular hut made from four wooden panels in a barren area near the Natural Monument of La Corona, a protected space in Lanzarote, close to the volcano of the same name, in the northern municipality of Haría.
It describes the lodging as a "triangular Canadian cabin-style construction made of wood and integrated into the environment." The listing encourages guests to "disconnect from life and connect with themselves in this sustainable refuge. Relax to the rhythm of the wind and enjoy the tranquillity of the landscape." The mayor of Haría, Alfredo Villalba, has labelled it as "bizarre".
The most disturbing aspect of the advertisement is the image showing the alleged outdoor bathroom made with wooden pallets, and the 'toilet' which is a rubbish bin. However, the host describes it as a bathroom using the "waterless dry toilet" method, saying that waste is used for composting purposes.
These recent listings do raise questions of how in-depth are Airbnb's checks before allowing hosts and listings, and why aren't the local government clamping down more quickly on obviously illegal holiday rentals.
