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Where: Parcela 216 on the Avenida del Mar — an unfinished hotel construction between the resorts and residential areas
Who lives there: Dozens of squatters; according to opposition spokesperson Jonás Álvarez (Primero Teguise), numbers have grown in six months from «small groups of youths» to «dozens of people»
Issues: Thefts, aggression towards passers-by, drug use, hygiene problems
Owner: Has been waiting for years for planning permission for a hotel project with around 500 beds
Political position: Deputy Mayor Olivia Duque (CC) confirms the security situation but cites the council's «limited room for action»
What residents are reporting
On the opposite side of the street: residential areas, shops, a bus stop used daily by workers and schoolchildren. The complaints are concrete, not abstract: thefts in the shops, verbal abuse on the street, drug use in plain view. What residents find most frustrating: the feeling that no one is responsible for them.
«It's not just a matter of thefts and robberies,» Álvarez says. «It's about a real sense of insecurity on the Avenida, because residents feel insulted and threatened by some of the people occupying the hotel plot.»
Deputy Mayor Olivia Duque, from Coalición Canaria, confirms the situation. But she also points to the «limited room for action» of the local council: eviction has to be ordered by a judge, the procedure often takes years, and the town has no executive authority over private land.
The real bottleneck: private land, empty hands
This is where the political dilemma lies. Parcela 216 is private land. The owner has been waiting for years for a building permit — tourism planning, ZAR proceedings («Zona Apta para la Renovación»), environmental conditions. While the procedure drags on, the owner is legally still the owner but economically stuck. He can't operate the site and has no incentive to finance the necessary safety measures (fencing, lighting, security) — that would be investment with no prospect of return.
Primero Teguise is therefore calling for the obvious: sanctions against the owner. Anyone leaving an unsafe industrial wasteland in the middle of a residential area should be liable for it — fencing, cleaning, and, if necessary, eviction at the owner's expense.
The problem is procedural logic. Squatting in Spain has produced an extraordinarily complex legal field over recent years. Once squatters have lived in a building for more than 48 hours, they count as «residents» and can no longer be removed without a court order. The eviction itself can take one to two years — sometimes longer. And in April 2025, a case in Costa Teguise drew attention when a court considered the possibility of compensation for squatters for breach of their fundamental rights. The then deputy mayor, Rita Hernández, called that «enough to make you cry».
Why this isn't only about Costa Teguise
The Parcela 216 pattern is not unique to the Canary Islands. Thousands of construction ruins — from the 2008 property crash, from stalled tourism projects, from ZAR reorganisation procedures — are scattered across the islands. On Gran Canaria, on Tenerife, on Lanzarote. Where the ruins are in or next to residential areas, the same conflicts emerge: squatting, thefts, aggression, citizen protest, helpless town halls.
What was new in Costa Teguise on Friday: residents organised themselves. Over 100 people came to the rally at Playa Roca — residents, shopkeepers, landlords. A citizens' collective called the demonstration via press release. The demand: a definitive solution, not just promises.
What a «definitive solution» would actually look like, however, is unclear:
- Faster eviction would require accelerating legal procedures — a matter for the Spanish parliament.
- Sanctions against the owner would need an enforceable municipal ordinance — a matter for the Cabildo and the town.
- Immediate eviction with emergency housing for those affected would require alternative accommodation that doesn't exist in Lanzarote at the necessary scale.
Until then, Parcela 216 remains what it is: a piece of concrete that no one wants, where no one should be living, but that no one actually controls.
Frequently asked questions
What is Parcela 216?
An unfinished hotel plot on the Avenida del Mar in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote. More than a decade ago, work began here on a hotel complex with around 500 beds; it was never completed. The owner has been waiting ever since for the final planning permit.
How many squatters live there?
According to opposition spokesperson Jonás Álvarez (Primero Teguise), it is now dozens of people living in improvised structures among the concrete pillars. Six months ago it was «small groups of youths».
What are the residents' specific complaints?
Thefts in nearby shops, verbal abuse towards passers-by, open drug use, hygiene problems. Residents report a clearly diminished sense of security on the Avenida.
Why isn't the council intervening?
Parcela 216 is private land. An eviction must be ordered by a court. Squatting in Spain has become legally complex in recent years — once squatters are established, they cannot be removed without a procedure, which often takes one to two years.
Who owns Parcela 216?
A private company planning a hotel project with around 500 beds, which has been waiting for years for the necessary building permits. Primero Teguise is demanding sanctions against the owner for failing to secure the site.
Are there comparable cases in the Canary Islands?
Yes. Construction ruins from the 2008 property crisis or from stalled tourism projects can be found on every island. Where they stand in or next to residential areas, similar conflicts arise between residents, owners and town halls.