Bajamar was among the prime holiday spots in the Canary Islands in the 1960s. Indeed, “it became the second holiday hub in Tenerife after Puerto de la Cruz”, as detailed by Carlos García, Carmen González and Carmen Toral in the book Bajamar, a small northern town.
During its heyday, located on the coastal lagoon, the Neptune Hotel, which, as announced by the City Council in May 2023, will be razed to the ground. This week, the English press The Sun has reported on the current condition of the iconic hotel establishment that “was once popular with the British”.
The Neptune became one of the main symbols of the tourism boom experienced by the lagoon coast, mainly in Bajamar and Punta del Hidalgo. However, the construction of the Southern Highway and the opening of the Reina Sofía Airport in 1977 led to the rise of sun and sand tourism in the south of the Island, resulting in the decline of the aforementioned coastal centres of Aguere.
“Now it looks more like a partially constructed car park than a reputable holiday destination,” it is stated by The Sun in the aforementioned article, which also highlights the neglect of the property. “Those who are willing to visit the enduring eyesore will encounter a building covered in graffiti, devoid of colour, and containing a dry swimming pool,” it adds.
Little remains of the grandeur of the Hotel Neptuno, which now deteriorates amidst abandonment. It shut its doors in 2007, after the enterprise went bankrupt. Since then, the building has been forsaken and has fallen victim to vandalism, with numerous graffiti and even repeated fires, resulting in considerable decay.
