Things grind slowly. This popular saying can be applied in Santa Cruz to a multitude of spaces, in which, after years of announcements, counter-announcements, advances and setbacks, despite everything, they end up being transformed. The capital’s relationship with the sea is one of the most difficult to recover, after the city grew turning its back on it. The best example of what the future chicharrero coastline could be is in the work to transform the Valleseco front into a bathing area. After almost 30 years talking about making this area of the capital a real urban beach, just a few months ago some works began whose objective is to make that dream long longed for by neighbors and politicians come true.
These days the gigantic crane, with the capacity to load up to 400 tons, which is going to be in charge of placing the premiums that will make up the dams of the future puddle area, in the sea, stars in the views of residents and visitors. His job is to install the nine-ton breakwater, which will support the floating platforms. At the same time, the construction of the so-called southern breakwater, the closest to the Nautical School, has already begun.
According to the times in which the work is being handled, the Port Authority foresees that next week, specifically for the 13th, the breakwater will be placed, and then the blocks in the hammer dam. These dock blocks are stored in the work area, where they have also been built, and their placement is already beginning to be necessary to dislodge the work area from so much storage. On the other hand, blocks of nine and 15 tons are still being manufactured on the site that the port has made available for the work in the Pesquera Dock. The forecast is that Valleseco will have this leisure area, because it will also be equipped with a promenade, a kiosk, benches and shady areas, in 2023. But first, according to the agreement signed between the Port Authority and the Santa Cruz City Council, the bathing areas known as Acapulco and El Bloque, will undergo a facelift that will improve their access. The first is a cove of 90 meters in length and approximately 1,200 square meters in total extension, while the second corresponds to the esplanade of docks of about 130 meters long and a total of 4,000 square meters. According to the project tendered by the Port Authority, and which has not yet been awarded, its objective is to provide users with comfortable and safe access to the coast, as well as an improvement of the solarium or stay area on these stretches of coast. In addition, the equipment, furniture and services of these bathing areas will be improved, all on a provisional basis, as long as the future Valleseco beach is not completed.
In the cove of Acapulco the existing boats will be cleaned in general and put in order. Likewise, the slope of stones and earth will be set back up to the existing line of tarajales, so that the dry area of the beach is gained. For this, a basalt masonry wall will be built. No new sand will be added to it. On the east side of the beach, the breakwater slope will be finished, so that it integrates better with the beach, and a two-step concrete solarium will be built.
The forecast is that, from the end of the stairs that access this area from the nearby car park, the entrance to the beach will be prepared by executing a staircase and paved area that allows the cove to communicate with the bleachers-solarium and the shower that will be executed . In the pedestrian access from the underpass under the service road, the existing pavement next to the old warehouses will be improved. Access through the underpasses next to the ravine will also be improved in order to improve accessibility to this bathing area. To improve access to the sea from the old nearby pier, two vertical stairs will be placed and an access to Cory’s cove will also be made with stairs. Finally, the existing tarajales at the back of the beach will be placed and species typical of this environment such as salty and balos will be added. In addition, the existing access ramp to the cove from the service road will be improved.
The works to equip the Valleseco coastline with the so-called area of puddles are progressing on schedule. SERGIO MÉNDEZ
The works to equip the Valleseco coastline with the so-called area of puddles are progressing on schedule. SERGIO MÉNDEZ
The works to equip the Valleseco coastline with the so-called area of puddles are progressing on schedule. SERGIO MÉNDEZ
The works to equip the Valleseco coastline with the so-called area of puddles are progressing on schedule. SERGIO MÉNDEZ
The works to equip the Valleseco coastline with the so-called area of puddles are progressing on schedule. SERGIO MÉNDEZ
The works to equip the Valleseco coastline with the so-called area of puddles are progressing on schedule. SERGIO MÉNDEZ
The works to equip the Valleseco coastline with the so-called area of puddles are progressing on schedule. SERGIO MÉNDEZ
The works to equip the Valleseco coastline with the so-called area of puddles are progressing on schedule. SERGIO MÉNDEZ
The works to equip the Valleseco coastline with the so-called area of puddles are progressing on schedule. SERGIO MÉNDEZ
In the part of El Bloque, the existing esplanade will be refurbished and improved as a solarium, placing 38 prefabricated slabs and gravel, delimited by lines of stones. The visible finish of these slabs will be executed with a concrete polishing. Likewise, 54 tarajal trees will be planted to provide shade. As pointed out in the project, this species of marine environment will not need a specific irrigation installation, although it will need an adequate fertilizer in its plantation and manual irrigation with a tanker for six months, in addition to a support irrigation network with hose. .
On the esplanade, a children’s play area (five units) and a physical exercise area with specific equipment (five units) and with the contribution of gravel will be distinguished, delimited with stones. Nine wooden benches with backs will also be placed in the surroundings of the children’s area, exercises and the esplanade in general.
If these actions in the heart of the Valleseco port area are the future, the walkway that connects the Puerto-Ciudad building with Santa Cruz in front of the new esplanade of the maritime avenue is the present. Although the leisure areas to be installed on the roof of the building, which will allow gaining a space with terraces overlooking the sea, have yet to be defined, the truth is that the chicharreros (but, above all, the cruise passengers who are beginning to return to the Island) have a clean and direct way of entering and leaving the chicharrero port, but also of approaching the sea directly.
It is true that many other challenges remain, such as the direct link from the Plaza de España that the architects Herzog & de Meuron designed for Santa Cruz, which is still waiting for investors (public or private), or a promenade for Las Teresitas, without forgetting the Palmetum area, whose rear will be a new leisure area by the sea, and is now available to the City Council.
