In full impact by the brutal effects of the volcanic eruption of the Aridane Valley, in La Palma, the mayor of Garachico, José Heriberto González (CC), announce that the Cabildo of Tenerife has granted the town a grant of 325,000 euros to enable a museum to commemorate what was the historical eruption with the greatest social and economic impact in the history of Tenerife.
Jose Heriberto Gonzalez considers that the involvement of the Tenerife Council is “great news for Garachico», Which will allow the municipality to get more economic and tourist revenue from one of the most complicated moments in its more than 5 centuries of history. In addition, it links it to the current situation in The Palm: “During these days the island of La Palma It is attracting a large number of visitors interested in seeing the volcano, after a tourist promotion campaign by the palm administrations as a way of reactivating the island’s economy. What happens has the terrible part that we know but we must try to get something positive and, in this case, everything related to volcanism is an impressive attraction. And that has been understood by the Cabildo de la Isla Bonita ».
The municipality receives insular help to create a space that will remember a key event in local history: the destruction of the port by the lava flows from the Trevejos volcano
«The most important volcanoes and eruptions in the Canary Islands have interpretation centers that attract a large number of visitors. It happens with the Teide in Tenerife, with The Caldera de Taburiente and the Teneguía-San Antonio, on La Palma, or with Timanfaya on Lanzarote», Emphasizes González.
«Garachico suffered three centuries ago the most destructive historical eruption of the island of Tenerife and one of the most important in the Canary Islands, since it destroyed the most important port of that time on the island and contributed to modify the socioeconomic map of Tenerife, plunging our town into a decline that has lasted for centuries, “he recalls.
For a year and a half, the local government of Garachico (CC) “It has been working on a museum and interpretation center project that uses the most advanced technologies, such as 3D images or augmented reality, to remember the impact of this eruption and become a leading space in the Canary Islands”, says the mayor.
«The great news is that the Cabildo of Tenerife has approved a few days ago to grant a grant to the Garachico Town Hall of 325,000 euros to develop this project and that we can have this center open to the public throughout the next year. After various efforts, finally the CC and PSOE groups supported this initiative and I have to thank the people who led these negotiations: Carlos Alonso (CC) and Aarón Afonso (PSOE) and, of course, the island president, Pedro Martin (PSOE), who gave his approval.