'Fake' signs to scare tourists away from beaches now appear in the Canary Islands

A few weeks ago, posters with messages in English mysteriously appeared on several beaches in Mallorca (pictured above) with the aim of stopping foreign tourists from going to the beaches, in a clear movement against the tourist overcrowding that some residents believe the islands are experiencing.

These signs, which warned of contaminated waters, falling rocks, the presence of jellyfish, or the fact that the beach is closed, have now also appeared in the Canary Islands and, more specifically, in Tenerife.

According to the local newspaper El Día, an unknown person has posted a sign at the entrance to the Playa Castro beach, in the municipality of Los Realejos, which reads "Beach Closed: Contaminated Water." However, just beneath this, there is another message in Spanish, which clarifies the situation saying: "Beach Open: Mass tourism is the pollution."

These false warnings show the total disagreement of some local residents with the tourism model developed in both the Balearic and the Canary Islands, which in many cases results in destinations and beaches swamped by an influx of visitors, leading to mounting frustration among residents and an alarming surge in what is being referred to as "tourismphobia".