The works of conditioning and improvement of the accesses to the sea known as Acapulco-The Blockin Valleseco, have already finished. The Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife delivered this Wednesday, February 22, to the Chicharrero City Council this new space for the bathroom near the center of the city, which, although it was already used by the residents, now, once rehabilitated, “becomes an authentic Bathing Area, equipped with services and better access to water”.
Of course, for its use, the Consistory has established a set of standards, such as the closure of the El Bloque dock during the night, between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and the prohibition of fishing in any area. You will not be able to smoke either, neither in El Bloque nor on Acapulco beach. The Santa Cruz City Council clarifies that El Bloque will open to the public starting this Friday, “once the declaration as a Bathing Area is processed.”
The conditioning works carried out by Puertos de Tenerife in El Bloque and in Acapulco beach have meant an investment of more than 400,000 euros, financed by the City of Santa Cruz. In it pier known as El Bloque a solarium platform has been enabled; a playground has been installed; Stairs have been placed to access the sea, and trees (tarajales and flamboyanes) have been planted, among other actions. Also, the area has wooden benches, showers and these days a bathroom will also be installed. In addition, it is expected that a food and beverage service will be offered in said space through food truck. And on the Acapulco stone beach, the access ramp and the existing staircase have been conditioned; a small solarium has been placed; Benches and a shower have been installed, and landscaping has been improved.
These rehabilitated spaces, which were already used by citizens to access the sea, will be added in a few months, as highlighted this Wednesday by the president of the Port Authority, Carlos González, and the mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, the longed for puddle area from Valleseco. This project, which is currently being carried out, has involved an investment of more than 13.6 million euros, financed by the Ports of Tenerife, the Government of the Canary Islands, the Cabildo and the City Council. With this action, the capital will be provided with a new and different bathing area, close to the city center.
Regarding the Acapulco-El Bloque spaces, located next to the future Charcos de Valleseco area, the president of the Port Authority highlighted that new access to the sea is being made available to residents and tourists in Santa Cruz which, “although already they existed, they were not cataloged as Bathing Areas nor did they have the appropriate conditions». He indicated that, specifically, these works have been carried out on a surface of 4,000 square meters.
González pointed out that, despite the fact that «we live on an island, we do not have sufficient and appropriate bathing areas, fundamentally, due to the difficulties of access to the sea». For this reason, he encouraged citizens to continue requesting improvements on the coast of the Tenerife capital, so that, “and as far as decision-making is concerned, these are at the same level of demand as other actions of a social, health or infrastructure.
The president of Puertos de Tenerife asserted that in Santa Cruz has taken more than 25 years to improve the Valleseco coastline, which is why, he added, “you shouldn’t stick your chest out.” He stated that now, and with the inauguration in the coming months of the Charcos Zone, the capital of Tenerife is gaining more access to the sea.
Water quality
For his part, the mayor of Santa Cruz stressed that with this work already completed The accesses to the Valleseco sea known as Acapulco-El Bloque, located just a 15-minute walk from the city center, have been “dignified”“responding to a historical demand from the neighbors”. He informed that, from now on, this Bathing Area of the capital, “declaration of which it lacked”, will have lifeguard and rescue services, through the Red Cross; cleaning and gardening.
He pointed out that once the work has been delivered by the Port, the City Council will be in charge of its management and maintenance, as well as the control of water quality.
For his part, the sub-delegate of the central government in the Canary Islands, Javier Plata, recalled that this action has been possible thanks to the collaboration between the Port Authority and the City Council, “the same thing that has happened with the Charcos Zone, which will be ready in brief, in whose execution the Canary Islands Government and the Cabildo also collaborate. “With all these works, the city will definitely open up to the sea,” he added.
The Block will be closed overnight every day of the year, as announced by the councilors of Infrastructures and Public Services, Dámaso Arteaga and Carlos Tarife, who also indicated that a bathroom and a kiosk or food truck will be installed shortly. Arteaga commented that this space will be open to the public from Friday, although some residents opened it yesterday.
Carlos Tarife, for his part, took the opportunity to report on the rules of use of these new spaces that bathers will have to comply with, such as the ban on smoking, both on the pier and on the beach; on producing annoying noise; to access El Bloque with animals, with the exception of guide dogs; camping in the area, and fishing.
Likewise, and according to the approved regulations, the bathing area is delimited to the sheet of water included within the existing beacon, “since the transit and anchoring of boats occurs abroad.”
And the sandy beach of Valleseco?
The long-awaited project for Santa Cruz to have a proper bathing area in Valleseco, close to the city center, initially included, in addition to the Charcos Zone that is already being built, a sandy beach where today is the so-called Acapulco stone beach. However, that performance was parked due to the difficulties of carrying it out. Even so, neither the City Council nor the Port Authority rule it out entirely, but they point out that said beach must be executed by Costas. The Chicharrero City Council also aspires to be able to join, in the future, in a pedestrian way, the three bathing areas of Valleseco, that is, the already rehabilitated Acapulco and El Bloque and the future Charcos Zone, whose expected completion date is April. Likewise, the City Council proposes that the BP tanks change their image, “with paintings alluding to Valleseco.”
