Famous European Beach Made from Sahara Desert Sand

Playa de Las Teresitas, an international tourist destination in Spain, is an artificial beach with 270,000 tons of sand imported from the Sahara desert.

More than 50 years ago, Playa de Las Teresitas on Tenerife looked very different from the beach tourists are familiar with today. One of the Canary Islands’ most famous beaches was once a patchwork of pebbles and black volcanic sand. The waves were not as calm as they are now. Playa de Las Teresitas was considered by locals to be a very dangerous beach, with water crashing against rocks.

The current white-gold sand beach and the pebbles and rocks of more than 50 years ago. Photo: Playa de lasteresitas/Desposit photos

But it is the only beach close to Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife. In 1953, the city council decided to build an artificial beach at Las Teresitas. The design took eight years to complete and four years to convince the council and the Spanish government to approve it.

As a first step, the architects and engineers involved in the project devised a plan to protect the beach from strong waves. They built a large breakwater and a barrier to prevent the water from washing away the sand.

Then, 270,000 tons of white sand were brought from the Sahara Desert to create a 1.3 km long, 80 m wide beach. The beach opened in 1973 and quickly became a favorite destination for locals and tourists. There are 1,000 free parking spaces at the beach entrance. Visitors can rent sunbeds and umbrellas for as little as 5 euros, according to Tripadvisor.

The beach’s website advises visitors to swim only when the blue flag is raised. Red flags indicate high risk, while yellow flags indicate potential hazards such as rip currents and jellyfish. Visitors are also advised to wear sunscreen as the sun’s rays are higher while swimming, and to swim parallel to the shore to avoid large waves. In addition to swimming, visitors can kayak.

Playa de Las Teresitas when empty. Photo: Desposit photos — Playa de Las Teresitas when empty. Photo: *Desposit photos*

The beach is 7 km from the city center of Santa Cruz, about 15-20 minutes away. Visitors can reach it by car or bus number 910, prices from 1.25 euros. Prices for rooms and apartments in the surrounding area start from 80 euros, according to Booking.

In addition to Playa de Las Teresitas, the Canary Islands often import sand from Western Sahara to rebuild beaches and use in other major projects. However, according to an assessment by ENACT Africa, an organization that fights transnational crime in Africa, sand mining has many consequences for local people in the Sahara Desert. "Economically, the government and companies in Morocco benefit. Environmentally, mining disfigures the landscape and erodes ecosystems."

Anh Minh (According to Playa de la Teresitas, Tripadvisor )

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