British tourists travelling to Tenerife and Gran Canaria next week have been warned of significant travel disruption as the Canary Islands prepare for an unprecedented papal visit — with authorities on high alert after a chilling ISIS threat targeting Pope Leo XIV.
Pope Leo XIV will arrive in the Canary Islands on 11 and 12 June as part of a wider tour of Spain, marking the first ever official papal visit to the islands. The occasion has prompted one of the largest security operations in the archipelago’s history — and a disturbing threat from a pro-ISIS outlet that has placed anti-terrorism authorities across Tenerife and Gran Canaria on maximum alert.
The threatening graphic, published by a pro-ISIS channel, depicted a papal figure covered in black marks alongside text reading: “Soon o infidel” and “O Mujahid, attack their stadiums and target the Pope.” The same outlet accused the Spanish government of having “recreated Camp Bucca” — a notorious US-run detention facility in Iraq — warning it would “ignite an explosion of rage” and pointing to what it described as security and “logistical frailty” in Spain as a signal to would-be attackers. In a further development, the outlet published what it described as its first English-language issue of the al-Uqab publication, calling for new members with design, content creation and translation skills.
The security response has been vast. Thousands of police officers — on foot, motorcycle and in vehicles — will be deployed across both islands. The Pope will travel in specially-made buggies, switching between an armoured glass dome vehicle and an open-top jeep format depending on the security assessment at each location. More than 100 medical professionals will be mobilised and four field hospitals installed — two on each island — to handle any surge in medical demand at what are expected to be enormous public gatherings.
For holidaymakers, the practical consequences will be significant. The main TF-1 motorway in Tenerife will be closed for several hours, running from the airport to the south of the island, with equivalent closures planned in Gran Canaria. The closures will directly affect travel to and from popular tourist resorts. Heavy goods vehicles will be banned, parking suspended in towns and villages on the papal route, and litter bins and refuse containers removed from public spaces as part of security protocols. Authorities are urging people to work from home where possible and to plan journeys well in advance.
Government spokesman Alfonso Cabello described the visit as “a historic occasion” and said it was vital the agenda was carried out “with the necessary guarantees, both in terms of security and assistance.” He also noted that approximately 13,000 journalists have already been accredited to cover the visit, placing the islands under intense international media scrutiny. The Bishop of the Diocese of Tenerife, Eloy Santiago, appealed for patience from residents and visitors alike, acknowledging the visit would “certainly cause some inconvenience and difficulties.”
The papal visit is being afforded the same level of security as a visit by a head of state — a designation that reflects both the scale of the occasion and the seriousness with which the ISIS threat is being treated.
