The Mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Manuel Bermúdez, made a statement on Monday regarding the potential construction of a hotel near Las Teresitas beach, stating that “this is not the Cradle of the Soul”, in reference to the controversy surrounding a tourism project in Puertito de Adeje.
Bermúdez highlighted in remarks to Radio Club Tenerife, as reported by Efe, that this tourist development in Las Teresitas on a publicly owned plot has been part of municipal planning since 2005, therefore it is not a recent imposition or proposal by this mayor.
He pointed out that if there were to be any reclassification of this plot, there would need to be a justification provided to devaluate public land, jokingly suggesting it could be used for “an urban garden”.
Bermúdez clarified that deciding whether a hotel can be built on the plot is a political decision, emphasizing that during his tenure as mayor, their actions have been limited to maintaining it in the planning stage without further development.
Additionally, Bermúdez highlighted that Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with its 2,600 hotel beds, does not have a single tourist hotel along its coastline.
He also mentioned that the municipal government plans various improvements in Las Teresitas, including sanitation works, stormwater management, lighting installations, a promenade, and addressing access issues to the beach.
These planned enhancements require a modification in planning, with an estimated investment ranging between 30 and 40 million Euros.
Bermúdez expressed that it would be beneficial to have a public plot that could attract private investments for financing these projects.
He also acknowledged that seeking 40 million Euros externally at a public level is an option, but not an easy task, citing the ongoing major project of rehabilitating Viera y Clavijo park costing 12 million Euros as a benchmark.
Furthermore, the Mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife suggested that it might be time to consider implementing a fourth tourism moratorium in the Canary Islands to control the construction of new hotel facilities, especially amidst the rise of vacation rentals.
Bermúdez pointed out other factors causing concern among locals, including the increase in caravans and motorhomes, as well as the encouragement from authorities for tourists to explore beyond hotel premises.
