The Tenerife Cabildo has controversially allocated over €13.5 million in its 2025 budget to kick-start the construction of the long-debated motor circuit project in Granadilla in the south of the island, despite negative archaeological reports.
The funds include €13.3 million for the project’s first phase, €100,000 for northern access routes in phase two, and an additional €104,328 for the development of the parking. This spending represents just over 17% of the mobility investment budget, which totals €78.4 million.
The circuit, whose development contract was awarded to the joint venture Sacyr Construcción SA-Contratas y Servicios Bahillo SL for €44.16 million, is set to be completed over 40 months. It will involve constructing temporary grandstands, a high-speed track, parking areas, and an autocross circuit, requiring extensive infrastructure changes, including the redirection of three ravines.
Archaeological and Environmental Concerns
The project has sparked significant controversy due to the potential threat to archaeological and environmental heritage. The Imastanen Social Archaeology Collective identified numerous archaeological sites in the area, including 19 aboriginal archaeological units, 17 ethnographic features, and three architectural sites. These findings were reported to Tenerife’s Heritage Department, which is responsible for safeguarding this cultural legacy.
Further complicating matters, the project’s Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA) expired years ago. The original DIA, issued 11 years ago, had a validity of five years. Although the Cabildo claims that construction began within this timeframe but was halted due to issues with the contractor, critics argue that the project’s current status warrants a new environmental assessment.
The circuit’s construction also poses risks to the local ecosystem, threatening endemic vegetation such as the tabaibal-cardonal and wildlife like the critically endangered Barbary falcon, along with other bird species like owls and shrikes. Scientists and environmentalists have warned of the project's potential to disrupt the area’s biodiversity and habitats.
