London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Scientists Warn Sex Tourists Against Doing It on Canary Islands Dunes Due to Heavy Impact on Nature

Scientists Warn Sex Tourists Against Doing It on Canary Islands Dunes Due to Heavy Impact on Nature

The dunes, which cover over 1,000 acres (4 sq km) of the island off the coast of Africa, have been preserved as a nature reserve since 1987 and are regarded as one of Spain's finest natural assets.

Tourists, mainly from the UK, US and Germany, should avoid having sex with strangers on Gran Canaria's famous sand dunes behind the bushes because of the detrimental effect on the landscape, new research by the Beach and Dune Systems (BEADS) Laboratory of Flinders University and the Group of Physical Geography and Environment of the Institute of Oceanography and Global Change (IOCAG-ULPGC) revealed.

According to the research, so many individuals visit the Canary Islands to engage in unlawful open-air sex on the dunes that uncommon species and bushes are being wiped out. The researchers have found nearly 300 favorite spots, especially among gay tourists, on the enormous expanse of sand on the island's south side.

Fig. 1. Study area. Location of the sex spots (green points) on referenced plots used for fieldwork (red array), mainly located in the stabilized (C) and semi-stabilized (B) areas of the dunefield, kiosk 7 (red circle), authorized paths (yellow lines) and usage zones delimited by the DMSNR regulations.


Researchers have been doing a thorough investigation regarding the impact of so-called "cruising," which entails anonymous sexual encounters in public areas, and in this case, on the dunes, and came to the conclusion that intercourse had a direct impact on the dunes as well as eight native plant species, three of which are endemic.

The findings were published in a study titled "The Five S's: Sand, Sun, Sea, and Sex with Strangers." The researchers add out that dunes and coastal beaches are examples of open public settings where these sexual acts are extensively practiced, to the point where they've been labeled as the 'Four S' by the paper (sand, sun, sea and sex).

All of the sites where sexual encounters occurred were found and recorded by the specialists. Further, they gathered data on the size and internal distribution of these areas, as well as the type of sexual activity, their location, the vegetation coverage and type, and the environmental repercussions or lack of management efforts.

According to the study, the overall space occupied by the 298 sexual meeting sites is 5,763.85 m2. These sex locations are linked to the protected area's distance from authorized trails, the existence of dense forest, and vegetation-stabilized dunes (nebkhas). The larger the location, the higher the number of individuals who use it, as well as the likelihood that it is a low-lying location with little vegetation and a lot of trash.

Fig. 6. Cut vegetation and waste associated with the cruising activity in the sex spots. A. Sex spot example built using native (protected) vegetation cut down to build a ‘nest’ B. Toilet spot next to a sex spot and waste. C. Waste inside a sex spot.


The researchers noted, however, that Maspalomas is not the only coastal dune area in the world that records this type of activity, since similar sites can be found in Australia, France, and Portugal, among other places.

According to the paper, on a practical level, between September 2018 and July 2019, the people who engage in public sex in the Reserve area eradicated 159 of these points and removed, uprooted, and killed 1,244.49 m3 of dry vegetation.

Interestingly, the authors stated that they had no intention of offending the LGBTQ community, and that Gran Canaria has been hospitable to homosexual tourists from all over the world for years, especially for those from the UK, the US, and Germany, who are rather frequent guests on the island.

The stated aim of the research is to provide a better understanding of how "cruising" on the dunes may be managed and the environment safeguarded at a time when environmental concerns are so pressing.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×