The Tenerife Island Council and the Buenavista del Norte Town Hall have reached an agreement to regulate the use of the Masca ravine pier, a key infrastructure to cover the intense activity generated in the area associated with environmental, sports, and leisure tourism. The Minister of Natural Resources, Sustainability, and Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez, and the mayor of the municipality, Eva García (PSOE), held a meeting to analyse the uses of the maritime resource in preparation for the upcoming summer. This is the next step after the existing regulation regarding the organization of visits to the descent path of the hamlet through an online booking system, which has reduced accidents recorded on this route. Blanca Pérez explains that “this inter-administrative agreement includes the improvement of services and an increase in safety in an area particularly sensitive in terms of the environment”. Following the rehabilitation and improvement of the path, both administrations have decided to work towards opening the pier to the public this same summer as a key element in regulating visits to the Masca ravine.
New Opening Hours
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The first measure agreed upon is the extension of the working hours of the natural area guards, who, from serving in the summer from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, will now extend their working hours until 8:00 pm, three extra hours to take advantage of the increased daylight. The winter schedule will remain from eight in the morning to five in the afternoon. “We have decided to implement more control and safety measures in the pier area to limit as much as possible the degradation of the space due to the pressure exerted on the territory by the users arriving by sea, mainly for leisure purposes, and those accessing by land after walking through the spectacular ravine from the village,” explains Blanca Pérez.
For her part, Eva García points out that “it is important to have collaboration between the town hall and the Island Council to manage natural spaces and resources such as Masca, the pier, and also Punta de Teno.” Therefore, she believes that “this marks a before and after in the municipality of Buenavista because it responds to a demand regarding the management of our spaces. After improving this pier, the next step will be the one at Punta de Teno.”
Regulated Tariff
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The usage regulations will allow the embarkation or disembarkation of people, applying a fee for the service provided. Similarly, ecological anchoring of up to four vessels will be allowed at the mouth of the Masca ravine, as well as the arrival of kayaks and canoes. Digital media supports will monitor activities originating from private boats, as the cliffs of Los Gigantes are home to protected birds. The management of the pier will be included in the task entrusted by the Council to the public company Tragsa.
The rehabilitation and conditioning work of the Masca pier were completed in March of last year. The new infrastructure consists of a 46-block concrete dock and a walkway. It replaces the old dock in the area and includes a boarding platform that can also be used as a helipad. The investment in this facility has exceeded 1.6 million Euros and will enable “the possibility of picking up hikers who walk the ravine path and exit by sea to Los Gigantes, or in the future, to Teno.”
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