Abandoned Spanish Waterpark Once Popular with Tourists Now Home to Squatters
Eerie photographs reveal the decay of Parque Europa Baku, a once-ambitious entertainment complex in Fuerteventura, now occupied by homeless individuals.
A former major tourist attraction in Spain's Canary Islands, Parque Europa Baku in Corralejo, Fuerteventura, has fallen into disrepair and is now home to a community of squatters. Eerie photographs depict the site covered in graffiti, with empty pools and crumbling buildings, a stark contrast to its past as a vibrant family entertainment destination.
The sprawling complex, built in the 2000s, once featured attractions such as sharks, seals, reptiles, and birds, alongside a replica of Christopher Columbus's ship, La Santa María. Occupying over 159,000 square meters of public land, the ambitious development aimed to be a premier family entertainment destination.
However, the park was plagued by financial difficulties, leading to the closure of many attractions after only a few years. An urban explorer who visited the abandoned site was surprised to find homeless individuals living within the ruins.
"Gaining access to the site was too easy, simply walking off the main street into the complex," the explorer, known online as SeanUrbex, stated. "The first thing we see is the striking shark statue still remaining, overlooking the once busy park."
Locals reportedly corrected the explorer, clarifying that the site was primarily a water park with a live shark exhibit located beneath the large shark statue. SeanUrbex explored only about a third of the vast site.
"Sadly, we only managed to see about a third of the site, as many homeless locals have made the place home, living in old pools and display water features, with no roofs but clothes hanging up drying and makeshift beds with blankets," he said. "Homelessness is a real problem on the island, and many of them make use of disused places. The most shocking thing was the amount of homeless squatters who now called the old park home."
According to company accounts cited by Spanish newspaper Diario de Fuerteventura, operator Ociopark Corralejo accumulated losses of nearly €31.2 million (£27 million) by the end of 2019. In July 2026, the La Oliva council initiated proceedings to terminate the concession for the former complex.
