The Tenerife Island Council and the Tegueste City Council have signed an agreement to convert the Casa de los Camineros into a accommodation facility for hikers.
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 4 March (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Tenerife Island Council will repurpose the Casa de Los Zamorano in Tegueste to serve as an Interpretation Centre of the Anaga Massif Biosphere Reserve, relocating the current Tourist Information Office that is situated in the town centre.
Additionally, the Casa de Los Camineros, owned by the island corporation, will be transformed into a hostel for hikers.
The President of the Island Council, Rosa Dávila, and the Mayor of Tegueste, Ana Mena, officially formalised the transfer agreement for the Casa de Los Camineros (Casilla-Almacén) to be converted into a Hiking Hostel Centre. Also present at the event were the Minister of Natural Environment, Sustainability and Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez; the Minister of Highways, Dámaso Arteaga, and the Deputy Mayor, Juan Norberto Padilla.
Rosa Dávila stated that the agreement has been finalised for the Casa de Los Camineros to serve as a shelter for hikers, along with the Finca de Los Zamorano, which will accommodate an Interpretation Centre of the Anaga Massif Biosphere Reserve, and will also house the Tourist Information Office.
“This is a key point through which many people pass who wish to explore and discover the Anaga Rural Park. With 8,000 affiliated hikers, it is crucial that they have this Interpretative Centre, which will be essential in the dissemination and understanding of this area,” she remarked.
On her part, Ana Mena emphasised that there needs to be awareness of the “little paradise” represented by the biosphere reserve, and it must be “shown and looked after”, as Tegueste serves as one of the “gateways” to Anaga.
“The important aspect is the collaboration between the Island Council and the City Council, not only with these two buildings but with other projects that we will be developing,” she stressed.
The renovation of the Los Zamorano Estate requires an investment of 477,424 Euros, with 458,868 Euros subsidised by Next Generation Funds from the European Union, and the remaining amount to be contributed by the Island Council.
In addition to this, around 60,000 Euros will be allocated for the interpretive design of the exhibition content, bringing the total investment to approximately 537,000 Euros, according to a statement from the island corporation.
The project involves adapting the property and designing the equipment in line with the criteria of Tenerife’s Tourist Information Offices Network (Infoten), to establish the Tourist Information Office in the property – currently situated in Tegueste’s town centre – along with an Interpretation Centre of the Anaga Massif Biosphere Reserve.
The Tourist Information Office occupies four rooms within the property, sharing entrance access and bathrooms with the Interpretation Centre.
The focus of the project will be on integrating low-voltage installations into the architecture, adapting low-voltage systems, and modifying the set of bathrooms for public use to comply with current accessibility regulations.
RESOLVING ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES
Regarding the outdoor areas, modifications will be made to the free access area to the house, creating a free space for better utilisation and access.
This will address accessibility challenges arising from different pavement finishes and uneven ground levels.
Furthermore, the design of the railings throughout the complex will be unified, the surroundings will be equipped with signage and information panels, and a new ramp with a slope adapted to regulations will be constructed to enhance access to the property from the car park, which will serve as a starting and ending point for hiking routes at local and regional levels, promoting sustainable mobility strategies towards Anaga.
Additionally, the Casa de Los Camineros is situated on the right side of the TF-13 highway, at kilometre point 5, covering an area of 184.80 square metres, of which 115 square metres are built-up.
Specifically, it is a single-story building with a rear patio of 69.80 square metres.
The aim is for the hikers’ hostel to welcome visitors to the Anaga Rural Park, with the goal of boosting the municipality’s economic activity through an emerging leisure offering on the island.
Moreover, it can be utilised for conducting environmental activities for young people and children in the municipality and surrounding areas, as well as by environmental organisations and groups.
