Tourist Returns Stolen Rocks He Thinks Led to 'Tragedy'

Canary Islands park urges visitors not to take rocks as souvenirs
Posted Oct 24, 2025 2:00 AM CDT
Tourist Returns Stolen Rocks He Says Brought Him 'Bad Luck'
People walk by the Atlantic Ocean during sunset near La Pared beach on the Canary Island of Fuerteventura, Spain, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025.   (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

A German tourist who swiped volcanic rocks from a famous Canary Islands park has had a change of heart—after claiming the stones brought him nothing but misery, People reports. In a handwritten note to Timanfaya National Park, the visitor confessed to pocketing a few rocks from the protected Montañas del Fuego area and said he suffered a "major personal tragedy" soon after. "I have heard of legends where the removal of volcanic rock from its source of origin brings bad luck and I fear this has befallen me," he wrote, asking park staff to scatter the rocks back at the "hot coals" spot from which he took them. The Canarian Weekly has a scanned copy of the letter.

The park, which only recently released the letter despite receiving it a few years ago, used the opportunity to remind tourists that removing natural items isn't just bad luck—it's illegal, with fines reaching $3,400. Officials say they routinely confiscate "a large volume of stones and sand" from travelers' luggage at the local airport. It's not just about rules: park staff warn that even tiny rocks can shelter unique plants and insects. Take enough souvenirs, and you risk kicking off a "dangerous domino effect" that harms wildlife and erodes the landscape.

"That rock is meaningless in your display case," the park said in a statement. "It belongs to nature. It sustains the life and culture of our island. Stealing nature is stealing the future." Timanfaya isn't alone: Hawaii's Haleakala National Park also got rocks in the mail from a repentant visitor in 2022.

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