Diagnosis of El Castillo-Caleta de Fuste: a destination in critical, artificial, identity‑less condition

Van der Veen: “No estábamos locos”

The external consultancy study commissioned by local entrepreneurs mirrors the population’s frustration over a lack of cleanliness, security, maintenance, planning and public investment. Respondents also point to a deeper issue: the feeling of living in an artificial tourist enclave that has lost its identity.

Strategic Diagnosis of the Tourist Destination “Castillo – Caleta de Fuste”

Prepared by Cumbre 8 Islas for Gesprotur at the request of the Asociación de Empresarios de El Castillo, the report puts the critical shortcomings of Antigua’s main tourist hub in black and white.

• Deterioration and abandonment of cleaning and security services
• Transport gaps, out‑of‑date or ineffective planning, and a detached administration
• Loss of destination identity

In the words of the association’s president, Eduard Van der Veen, the findings are “exactly what we have been denouncing for years.”

“Resulta que no estábamos locos,” Van der Veen told island media while urging participation in the Friday presentation of the diagnosis.

The study aims to turn citizen demands into solutions and calls on politicians to “take this document and put it on the programme” for the upcoming elections.

Public Presentation and Roadmap for El Castillo‑Caleta de Fuste

The report was unveiled at the Hotel Barceló Fuerteventura with a broad institutional presence: regional and island tourism ministers Jéssica de León and Marlene Figueroa, and representatives from the Antigua City Council, including Works and Services Councillor Juan Cabrera.

Despite its critical tone, the document and Van der Veen’s attitude were framed positively. In interviews with Dos FM and Onda Fuerteventura, Van der Veen said he hopes the diagnosis will “collaborate with institutions and improve the situation.”

From “El Castillo” to “Caleta de Fuste”: A Crisis of Identity

The enclave’s problems stem from a historic development pattern common across Fuerteventura and the Canary Islands, but especially evident here. Large hotel complexes maintain their own facilities, yet the public realm tells a different story.

• Tourist firms sometimes clean public streets themselves, and residents organize clean‑up actions because municipal services and investment fall short.
• Formerly known as El Castillo and Nuevo Horizonte, the areas now called Caleta de Fuste and Costa de Antigua have grown from a 2,000‑person capital to over 6,000 residents, many of whom are foreign nationals.

“The civic unrest has moved into an identity dimension, creating a symbolic fracture between the tourist name ‘Caleta de Fuste’ and the locally rooted name ‘El Castillo.’”

This duality has sparked formal requests to rename the area, highlighting a loss of belonging and a disconnect between locals and the current tourism model.

Beyond basic services, the destination lacks distinctive assets beyond sun and beach. The Torre de San Buenaventura, which gives the name to El Castillo, “has no active tourist use,” and the artificial beach is the only notable landmark.

Cleanliness and Security: The Core of the Diagnosis

The study’s participatory methodology builds on the perceptions of the main actors living and working in the territory, aiming to serve as a reference tool for decision‑makers (municipality, Cabildo and Canary Islands Government).

Cleanliness and Waste Management – The “Most Critical Challenge”

• Persistent visual decay: accumulated litter, overflowing containers, and saturated trash bins.
• Private investment loses impact in a degraded public environment; some hotels clean public sidewalks with their own staff to mitigate the negative image.
• Concerns over “rebozo” (waste left outside bins) and incivil behavior, with the commercial sector overloading containers with cardboard and packaging.

The municipality is drafting a new tender to unify cleaning and waste collection, proposing an annual investment increase from €1 million to €2.3 million and expanding staff from 22 to 35 workers.

Security – Recurring Crime and Insufficient Police Presence

• A rise in criminality, with reports of drug trafficking, thefts, and knife attacks.
• A deficit of local police officers: ten agents lost over the past decade, leaving only 15 of a theoretical 19 available for patrols, limiting night‑time coverage.

Lack of Strategy and Infrastructure – A “Crisis‑Driven” Destination

The report highlights the absence of a clear, shared roadmap for the future. Management tends to react to urgent or ad‑hoc situations rather than following a long‑term plan.

Previous planning instruments—First Modernisation Plan (2016) and Second Modernisation Plan (2022)—have had limited real impact, resulting in only isolated actions without a cohesive operational framework.

Key structural gaps identified:

• Cultural and social public facilities to animate life beyond “sun and beach.”
• Modern, accessible sports equipment and adequate playgrounds (currently insufficient and outdated).
• Active public squares and community hubs that could serve as meeting points for residents and tourists.

These deficiencies convey an image of scarce public investment, reinforcing the perception of a tourism‑focused enclave that fails to return benefits to the common space.

Mobility and Transport

• Inter‑urban public transport is deemed insufficient for the area’s real needs.
• Bus stops often lack shelters or proper canopies, forcing passengers to wait exposed to sun, wind or rain, which signals institutional neglect.

Local Administration Shortcomings

• Resource constraints hinder investment, services and maintenance appropriate for a flagship tourist destination.
• Insufficient qualified technical staff affects daily operations (maintenance, green spaces) and administrative processes (licensing, tenders).

The diagnosis recommends pursuing external financing (regional, national, EU) and complying with anti‑fraud plans to ensure transparency and eligibility.

A lack of economic and commercial dynamism concentrates visitor activity within hotels, reducing time spent in public spaces and limiting local spending, which further fragments the urban life of the destination.

Strengths, Weaknesses and Opportunities (SWOT)

Strengths

• Central‑east coastal location on Fuerteventura
• Proximity to the airport and good road connectivity via FV‑2
• Low seasonality with stable hotel occupancy
• Diverse accommodation offer, marina, golf courses, and family‑friendly artificial beach
• Torre de San Buenaventura (BIC since 1949) as a potential identity anchor
• Core economic engine for the municipality of Antigua

Opportunities

• Growing demand for active and responsible tourism
• Increasing length of stays, opening avenues for long‑term tourism
• Potential to secure funding for modernization and sustainability

Weaknesses

• Deficient cleaning and waste collection
• Insufficient public security and policing
• Deteriorated urban maintenance (lighting, landscaping, furniture)
• Stalled urban planning processes limiting regular public service delivery
• Identity split between “El Castillo” and “Caleta de Fuste”
• Misalignment between residents and municipal administration
• Limited economic diversification, with spending concentrated in hotels

Recommendations (Prioritized)

• Very high priority:

  • Launch an emergency action plan while formalizing a new cleaning contract.
  • Achieve full coverage of local police posts.

• High priority:

  • Develop a local strategy and strengthen external technical assistance.
  • Re‑establish a permanent local police presence in the tourist core.
  • Request additional Guardia Civil personnel.
  • Outsource street lighting and green‑space maintenance.

• Medium priority:

  • Facilitate urban development approvals.
  • Move toward a single, unified destination name.
  • Promote touristic use of heritage assets (e.g., Torre de San Buenaventura).
  • Encourage collective stewardship of public spaces.
  • Diversify the tourism offer beyond beach‑centric activities.