**Mother and Son Swap Italy for Tent Life on Tenerife’s Shore in Pursuit of New Beginnings**
A desire to turn over a new leaf has led one Italian mother and son to an unexpected and challenging reality: tent living on the sun-soaked coast of Tenerife. Paola Nigro, 63, and her son Joshua Castiglioni, 27, once lived an ordinary life near Milan, where she worked as a cleaner and he as a bartender. Yet, following difficult circumstances at home, the pair made the life-changing decision to move to the Spanish Canary Islands three months ago, searching for a sense of renewal.
However, the promise of a new start soon collided with the tough realities of their new environment. With crucial work documents lost in transit and awaiting replacement, Joshua and Paola found themselves unable to secure proper employment. Until their paperwork is sorted, their only option has been to set up a makeshift home: an unassuming green and blue tent pitched by a roadside in El Médano, on the island’s southern coastline.
Locals in Tenerife have recently voiced their concerns about the impact of sustained tourism, which many claim has driven the cost of living higher and exacerbated a housing shortage. This context affects not only residents, but also newcomers like Joshua and Paola. The pair first attempted to settle on a nearby beach, but were soon moved on by local police, highlighting ongoing tensions between the vulnerable, the authorities, and the pressures of tourism.
“In some ways, it’s better here than in Italy,” Joshua observes. The balmy weather and nearby sea provide some comfort, although daily life is far from easy. Without electricity, the family is reliant on public restrooms and the generosity of local restaurants for nourishment. Joshua adds, “We ask and they give us something. Food is never a problem – people here are very kind. You’re free to be yourself. But across the bridge, all the rules come back.”
Their temporary home is not unique in the area; others have adapted to similar circumstances, carving out living spaces beneath foliage or rigging up rudimentary toilet huts. The cluster of makeshift shelters, connected by sandy footpaths, has fostered its own community of residents – all seeking stability and dignity outside the formal housing market.
“Many people live here. In some ways, we’re like a family,” Joshua continues. He notes the quiet and unhurried pace of the area, though police visits are a regular reminder of their precarious situation. “Sometimes it’s good, sometimes not. It’s normal.” Paola, expressing herself through her son, says she finds aspects of camping on the coast akin to being on holiday, relishing the freedom from the strictures and bureaucracy they left behind in Italy.
Despite the uncertainty of their situation, Paola holds onto personal hopes for the future. “Of course, I’d like a house one day,” she says, smiling. “But I am happy here, too. In Italy, there are many problems and too many rules.” The new climate and the proximity to the sea have brought a sense of liberation, even if at a cost.
The community near Joshua and Paola’s tent includes others with their own stories of escape and ambition. One of their neighbours, Marco Gaudio, left Italy’s restaurant industry behind nearly a year ago. Rousing himself from a nap in his own tent, Marco explained he moved to Tenerife in search of work and a brighter future for his child, who lives in France. Asked if he ever felt scared about his precarious life, Marco shrugged off the suggestion: “No problem.” Still, he admitted he hopes to soon secure more stable employment.
Their stories form a portrait of aspiration facing headwinds but refusing to be extinguished. While tent life in Tenerife may not have featured in their original vision, Joshua, Paola, and others like them balance hardship with community spirit and hope, carving out what they can from unfamiliar circumstances. In the words of Paola, “There is happiness to be found, even here.”
As the island continues to navigate the realities of tourism, migration, and economic pressure, stories like theirs highlight the human dimensions behind headlines – of resilience, adaptation, and the ongoing quest for belonging.