Impact of Maritime Weather on Garachico
When the maritime storm strikes Garachico, all traffic on the only route connecting the Isla Baja, the TF-42, flows through the historical centre of the town. This results in controlled chaos and inflicts damage on the town’s historical and cultural heritage. For the first time, the Cabildo of Tenerife has unanimously recognised this harm by approving a motion to allocate €650,000 to compensate the residents of Garachico. This funding will be used for the improvement of internal roads that serve as alternative routes when the coastal avenue is closed.
Planned Road Improvements
The principal intervention will be the repaving of Esteban de Ponte Street. Additionally, works will be carried out on the cobblestones around the Santa Ana parish, the Plaza de Abajo, and other locations along this route that display damage. Furthermore, nearby streets, including those by the Red Cross, San Sebastián, and Eutropio Rodríguez de la Sierra, as well as areas surrounding the San Francisco roundabout, will be asphalted. It is estimated that the contract for these works will be put out to tender within the next two months.
Community Concerns Addressed
This compensation is a result of the Garachico Town Council’s request to the island administration. The mayor, Heriberto González (CC), states that the town is making “a sacrifice by allowing all those vehicles to pass through the historical ensemble.” He emphasises that “this funding represents the first explicit recognition from the Cabildo that this situation causes damage for which neither the municipality nor the residents are responsible.” According to the mayor, “we allow traffic through the internal streets to avoid cutting off access to neighbouring towns, even though the diversion includes private vehicles, public transport, trucks, and other heavy vehicles.”
Municipal Ownership and Responsibility
He contends that these urban roads are not equipped to handle the recurrent traffic of a main island route. “The weight, volume, and frequency deteriorate the cobblestones and pavement of the historical centre. Although the streets are owned by the municipality, the Cabildo will fund their repair because the damage is linked to their use as an alternative to the TF-42, which is indeed under the jurisdiction of the island corporation,” he adds.
Additional Funding for Heritage Enhancement
Moreover, Garachico’s historical centre will benefit from a €400,000 grant from the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Canary Islands Government. The aim is to rehabilitate and replace the pavement in sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, thus improving mobility for pedestrians. Concrete will be replaced with natural stone and other noble materials to enhance the aesthetic integration, especially along the heritage boundaries.
The specific streets that will undergo intervention have yet to be determined, as technicians are currently drafting the project and assessing sections to decide which areas will be improved within the budget allocated by the regional government. The mayor’s goal is to complete all these works in full before the San Roque pilgrimage scheduled for August 2027.
