The Canarian beach of Santo Domingo, in the municipality of La Guancha, has been closed since February 2010 due to the risk of landslides, although restrictions on access to the bathing area began in 2007. Since then, residents have been patiently waiting for its opening, while the authorities have announced different projects and deadlines for its rehabilitation, without any of them having been fulfilled.
In 2014, the then Island Planning Councilor Pino de León and the former mayor Elena Luis announced an investment of 300,000 euros to protect the existing slopes on the Canary Islands beach and at the lower end of the access road. The project included the cleanup of these slopes and the demolition or anchoring of the rocky elements that were in danger of falling, had an execution period of six months and was to be carried out in two phases, culminating in 2015.
But the times were not met and in March of that year the works were announced again through the emergency route with a financing of 308,000 euros that would be borne by the Council of Tenerife and that they would also be developed in two phases. The first phase consisted of cleanup, removal of loose material, installation of a metal mesh for fastening and bolts for tying the land, and the construction of a protection wall. The second phase, which had a project budget of 106,692 euros, has not yet been executed.
In May 2018, during a meeting at the Island Palace in which its president, Carlos Alonso, the island’s Councilor for Cooperation, Aurelio Abreu, and the mayor, Antonio Hernández, participated, the start of work was announced. However, almost a year later, the Santo Domingo beach in the Canary Islands is still closed and the residents wonder what has happened to the project and why it has not been carried out.
The mayor of La Guancha assured last year to DIARIO DE AVISOS that “there is no project or authorization from Costas at the moment” and shows his concern about the “ineffectiveness of the Cabildo to resolve this issue and the change of game.” According to what the municipal technicians and the public company Gestur told him, he is awaiting the hiring of a technician to write the second phase “and it seems that there is a pre-agreement with Costas to give the go-ahead,” he details.
The president maintained that “from the beginning the people and the neighborhood of Santo Domingo have been deceived”, but he considers that “it is others who have to explain it.” In his opinion, “the only thing that the Cabildo has done in these four years has been to jump the ball from one place to another, without even having official communication” despite the fact that, he said, he had demanded the opening of the beach to the Minister of Cooperation , Aurelio Abreu, on several occasions.
A charming Canarian beach, but closed since 2010
The Canarian beach of Santo Domingo is very popular with fishermen as it is one of the few points in Tenerife where underwater fishing is authorized, with limitations. In addition, Santo Domingo beach is a singularly attractive place for diving on the north coast of Tenerife.
The situation is worrisome for the residents and tourists who visit La Guancha, since the Canarian beach of Santo Domingo is the only one in the municipality and its closure has negatively affected the local economy. Sun and beach tourism is one of the main sources of income for the municipality and the opening of the Santo Domingo beach could mean a great boost for the sector.
It is important that the authorities act effectively and transparently in this matter and comply with the announced deadlines and budgets. The residents of La Guancha deserve a clear and precise explanation about the status of the project and the reasons why its execution has been delayed.
It is necessary that the necessary measures be taken to guarantee the safety of beach users and prevent the landslides that led to its closure in 2010. Likewise, it is important that adequate planning and management of resources be carried out to ensure quality of the works and avoid unnecessary delays.
In short, the opening of the Santo Domingo Canarian beach is an urgent need for the residents of La Guancha and for tourism in the municipality. It is in the hands of the competent authorities to take the necessary measures to guarantee the safety and quality of the works and that the deadlines and budgets are met so that the Canarian beach of Santo Domingo can be enjoyed again by all.
