The access works to the Ducks beachin La Orotava, has caused numerous complaints on social networks when a photograph was published in which the cumbersome scaffolding necessary for the construction of a staircase can be seen.
From the regional Executive it is pointed out that work is being carried out to improve accessibility to Los Patos beach, with a forecast that these works will be finished by the end of the year.
The counselor of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Planning Territory of the Government of the Canary IslandsJosé Antonio Valbuena, has pointed out that it is an “almost handmade” process due to the conditions of the land, hence the image that has gone viral.
On the other hand, mainly on Twitter, there are many people who have wanted to demonstrate against these works, considering it too invasive as it is a virgin place, with little trace of man.
Works on the beach of Los Patos
The Minister for Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Territorial Planning of the Government of the Canary Islands, José Antonio Valbuena, and the first deputy mayor of La Orotava, Narciso Pérez, visited this Thursday, May 19, the improvement works of the access to Los Patos beach, which are 50% completed and whose works already reach a total executed budget of 325,146.91 euros. The forecast is that this facility will be completed in the last quarter of 2022.
The interventions already carried out include the construction of a staircase and a path that will facilitate reaching the coast, through a path that, previously, had impassable sections due to the detachment and sinking of part of its structure. This action is one of the main axes of Law 5/1992, of July 15, for the planning of the El Rincón – La Orotava area.
The regional councilor has expressed his satisfaction with the evolution of the project, since, “due to the conditions of the land of Los Patos beach, it is a complex process and practically carried out by hand”. Likewise, Valbuena recalled that this access has been closed to the public since 2013 and in this legislature a significant effort has been made by all the administrations involved to complete the work as soon as possible, provided that it is with all the necessary guarantees.
For his part, the first deputy mayor of La Orotava, Narciso Pérez, also appreciated that this project to improve access to Playa de Los Patos is going at a good pace and its completion is being visualized, since it is a work that in the time has suffered numerous obstacles. For this reason, he hopes that there will be no new contingencies, so that it can be ready this year, as well as access to Bollullo beach, where there have also been landslides on the slope. “For all responsible parties, it is a priority to guarantee, before opening them, the safety of all citizens who access them,” he said. This will open when these trails are fully enabled to be used safely by the general public.
Among the actions carried out on Los Patos beach is the installation of a metal mesh and a 750 KJ dynamic screen, which will protect the path from the marine environment and possible landslides that may occur on the stairs. In the process of completing the work, materials will be used that will blend in with the environment and reduce its impact, such as basalt stone and wood.
The total budget for the work on Los Patos beach is 650,765.88 euros, of which 350,765.88 euros come from the El Rincón Consortium’s own funds. This Body has received each year, during the 2020 and 2021 financial years, 175,000 euros from the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. In addition, the Consortium has received a global grant from the Area of Management of the Natural Environment and Security of the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife for an amount of 300,000 euros.
The El Rincón Consortium is a public entity, with its own legal personality, made up of the Government of the Canary Islands, the Cabildo of Tenerife and the City Council of La Orotava, together with the private entities of the El Rincón Homeowners Association, the Union Neighborhood Association Vista El Teide and the Coordinator of El Rincón.
