Green light given for major tourism project in Fuerteventura
A controversial tourism development plan dating back more than two decades has been reactivated in Fuerteventura, sparking concern among local groups. Drago Canarias, a left-wing political movement founded in 2020 that campaigns for social and environmental issues in the islands, has warned that the Rosa del Lago partial plan is once again moving forward.
The scheme, which was originally approved in 1999, includes a five-star hotel, a 682,000-square-metre golf course, two shopping centres, and around 1,500 residential units in the form of bungalows, townhouses and villas. In total, it would add more than 2,500 tourist beds to an area with a population of only around 1,500 residents.
The project was stopped in 2001 under the Canary Islands’ Tourism Moratorium (a law introduced to halt the rapid growth of hotels and resorts that put pressure on the environment and local resources). However, the licence was never revoked. Now the developers have asked the council for technical support, with access roads already built and work underway on trenches and sewage pipes leading towards the coast.
Aceysele Chacón, spokesperson for Drago Canarias in Fuerteventura, voiced strong concerns: “It is important that people understand what is happening here. We are talking about 1.2 square kilometres of land being handed over to tourism.” She also highlighted that this would be only the first of several planned urbanisations along the northeast coast, pointing to further proposals in the area around Playa del Jablito, close to the entrance of the Corralejo Dunes Natural Park.
The return of such a big project raises questions about Fuerteventura’s future, as the island tries to balance its popularity with tourists and increasing demands to protect the environment and use land more responsibly.
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