In a desperate attempt to manage visitor numbers, reduce traffic congestion, improve safety and ultimately improve the lives of residents in the “Spanish Machu Picchu”, a new mandatory service has been introduced. As of Friday, (April 18) visitors wishing to visit or hike through the iconic Masca Valley in Tenerife will only be able to do so via a new mandatory public transport service. 

It has been implemented by the Canary Island's Cabildo, in collaboration with the municipalities of Buenavista del Norte and Santiago del Teide. “This is about achieving sustainable mobility that is compatible with tourism, while protecting a natural environment as fragile and ecologically valuable as Masca,” said Rosa Dávila, President of the Tenerife Cabildo. The shuttle bus is now obligatory for anyone intending to access the trail through the gorge.

Entry will be regulated via the Masca Visitor Centre and tickets must be purchased in advance through the official website. The cost of the bus fare is automatically added to the ticket price for the hike.

The Cabildo has clarified that those arriving at the village by private vehicle or other means will not be allowed to enter the trail.

Situated in the Teno area, in northwest Tenerife, Masca is home to around 90 residents. The village lies at an altitude of 2,132 feet in the Macizo de Teno mountains, which extend up to the northwesternmost point of Tenerife, and sits at the head of the Masca Gorge.

The new service will run on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between 7 am and 2 pm, with buses departing every 20 minutes from Santiago del Teide. According to Canarian Weekly, the pick-up point is the existing TITSA bus stop next to the Town Hall.

To support the scheme, a car park has been made available near the municipal cemetery, where visitors can park their cars before boarding the shuttle, which has a capacity of 18 passengers.

Non-resident adults, including holidaymakers, will be required to pay €28 (£24) for entry and €10 (£8.60) for transport, while children will be charged €14 (£12) for the entrance and €5 (£4.30) for the shuttle ride.

Tenerife residents will be able to access the gorge and use the shuttle service free of charge. Canarian residents from other islands in the archipelago, meanwhile, will pay €3 (£2.60) for entry and €4 (£3.40) for the bus, while children will be charged €1.50 (£1.30) and €2 (£1.70), respectively.

Last month, residents of the small mountain village, famous for its unique and wild beauty, raised an alarm over safety and overcrowding due to a surge in tourism and prepared a formal document which was submitted to the local council and the Cabildo.

Some locals have reportedly even started referring to the village as a “tourist theme park”. 

“There are robberies at the viewpoints practically every day,” said the president of the local residents’ association, Jorge Javier Díaz, adding that while the Guardia Civil was doing its best with limited resources, “what we need is a visible police presence”. 

The state of the only access road - a narrow single-lane road - has become a major concern, which was built by the residents themselves between the 1960s and 1980s and can no longer cope with the constant stream of vehicles.

In a recent act of protest, the village residents informed the Cabildo that they would be changing the lock to one of the access gates. Diaz said: “Two weeks ago, we sent a letter to the Cabildo saying we were going to change the lock. Now, we have the key. Until then, we didn’t”.