British tourists planning a trip to the Canary Islands are being warned about sewage levels which are contaminating beaches. Health warnings have been issued, with environmental groups calling for action to be taken. The European Union Court of Justice condemned Spain for failing to properly control urban wastewater dischargers.

Environmental campaigners have called for a "temporary halt to further tourism expansion and urgent investment in sewage treatment infrastructure", Canarian Weekly reports. ATAN - the Tenerife Association of Friends of Nature - is urging for more transparency over the problem.

ATAN wants "immediate public health warnings" to be issued, as well as "preventive beach closures when safety thresholds are exceeded, an end to illegal discharges through a clear public timetable, and honest information for visitors via tour operators."

Campaigners argue that the issues are part of a wider crisis facing the Spanish archipelago which includes water scarcity and extreme pressure on infrastructure.

According to Canarian Weekly, a "clear message" has been issued to British residents and tourists which is this: "While the Canary Islands remain a hugely popular destination, longstanding sewage management failures are now firmly under EU scrutiny, and decisive action will be needed to protect both public health and the environment."

According to a ruling issued in December 2025, the Court of Justice found that Spain had breached the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.

Data from 2020 shows 29 critical problem areas across the country, 12 of them located in Tenerife, reports Manchester Evening News.

Some of the issues found include faulty sewage collectors, inadequate wastewater treatment and poor monitoring systems.

No immediate fines were issued but there could be "heavy financial penalties" if urgent corrective measures are not taken.

A total of 403 sewage discharge points were identified in the Canary Islands Government's land-to-sea discharge census in 2025.

More than half of these - 216 - did not have official authorisation and the majority were concentrated in Tenerife.

Contaminated beaches have been an ongoing problem in the Canary Islands. In 2025 Playa Jardin in Tenerife was closed for almost a year due to E.coli levels being above limits, with cracks in discharge pipes and deficiencies in municipal sanitation.

In October 2025 a beach in Arrefife, the capital city of Lanzarote, was closed to the public after suspected sewage leaks were detected.

At the start of the year stormy weather and severe rain resulted in damage to the local sewage system at Playa del Moro in Tenerife, which led to wastewater being discharged into the sea.

Authorities took the decision to ban swimming in the area and ordered the closure of the beach.