Tenerife prepares for major volcanic emergency exercise in the south of the island

The Tenerife Cabildo are preparing to stage a major volcanic emergency simulation and exercise in Guía de Isora on 22nd October, testing how authorities and emergency services would respond if the island faced a volcanic eruption and genuine emergency situation.

The exercise, called VOLCANEX Tenerife 2026, will involve public authorities, scientists, security forces, medical and healthcare teams, emergency services and Civil Protection.

The Tenerife Cabildo and Guía de Isora Council presented the latest preparation, training and public-information programme for the exercise on Wednesday.

Authorities have stressed that the operation is a planned emergency exercise and is not being carried out because of an imminent volcanic eruption or a new volcanic alert.

Guía de Isora activates emergency plan

As part of the preparations, the Guía de Isora Council has activated its Municipal Emergency Plan (PEMU).

The plan establishes how municipal resources and services would be organised and coordinated during a genuine emergency.

The exercise will test communication and coordination between the different administrations and emergency organisations responsible for protecting the population.

Transport and mobility will also form an important part of the operation, including planning potential routes and movements that would be required during a real emergency.

Cabildo mobility councillor Eulalia García said it is essential to have movements, routes and coordination between different transport services planned in advance so that the population could be moved safely and emergency teams could operate effectively.

Scenario based on high volcanic-hazard area

Planning for VOLCANEX has centred on a simulated scenario in the Las Cumbres de Abeque area, specifically the Santiago del Teide-Guía de Isora Zone 2B.

The area is classified as having a very high volcanic hazard.

That classification is part of Tenerife's existing volcanic-risk planning and should not be interpreted as indicating that an eruption is currently expected.

Guía de Isora was selected partly because of the complexity that authorities would face during a genuine emergency.

The municipality extends from the coast into the higher parts of Tenerife and includes dispersed communities as well as areas with a large tourist population.

That makes planning for transport, communication and the movement of residents and visitors particularly important.

Lessons from Garachico exercise

VOLCANEX Tenerife 2026 will be the second large-scale exercise of this type organised by the Cabildo.

The first took place in Garachico in 2025, providing authorities with practical experience that is now being used to refine Tenerife's volcanic emergency procedures.

Officials say this month's exercise will allow them to identify weaknesses and test whether different organisations can work effectively together under the conditions of a simulated volcanic emergency.

The programme involves not only emergency and Civil Protection teams but also scientists, health services, essential-service providers, the tourism sector and other organisations whose operations could be affected during a real eruption.

Why prepare for volcanic emergencies?

Tenerife is a volcanic island, meaning authorities must maintain contingency plans for future volcanic activity even during periods when there is no immediate threat.

Large-scale exercises allow emergency teams to test procedures before they are needed and help identify problems with communications, evacuation routes, transport and coordination.

The October 22nd exercise does not indicate any change in Tenerife's current volcanic situation.

Instead, VOLCANEX is designed to test whether the island is properly prepared should a genuine volcanic emergency occur in the future.