Canary Islands government reintroduces Fonsalía port project

The Government of the Canary Islands has reintroduced the controversial Fonsalía port project into its draft Sustainable and Intelligent Mobility Strategy for the islands. The proposal, located in the municipality of Guía de Isora on the southwest coast of Tenerife, aims to build a new passenger and cargo port to improve maritime connections between Tenerife and the western islands of La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma.

The government argues that Fonsalía offers favorable natural shelter and is geographically closer to the western islands than the current Los Cristianos pier, potentially reducing travel times and improving navigability. The project will require an ordinary environmental impact assessment to study effects on marine habitats, protected species such as cetaceans and turtles, and local fishing resources.

The move has faced opposition from the political organization Nueva Canarias-Bloque Canarista (NC-BC). Spokesperson Valentín Correa criticized the decision, stating that the project was previously halted in 2021 due to social and environmental concerns regarding the Teno-Rasca Special Conservation Zone. NC-BC argues that Tenerife should focus on optimizing existing infrastructure, such as Los Cristianos and Granadilla, rather than consuming more territory for new macro-infrastructures.