We are very close to witnessing the completion of one of the most important sports infrastructures in the North, and I would dare to say, on the Island. Few new projects are born with as much history behind them as is the case with the swimming pool in Puerto de la Cruz, now known as the Insular Aquatic Sports Centre. The inauguration ceremony is expected to be attended by numerous local, insular, and regional authorities, representing various political ideologies, and a long list of prominent figures who will pose for the obligatory institutional photo. But before that long-awaited day arrives, I would like to rewind and attempt to provide a brief chronicle of a long-anticipated revival, which may have been delayed more than necessary, although undoubtedly, all’s well that ends well. It is logical for politicians to be present at such an event, of course, but today I would like to shine a light on the society of Puerto de la Cruz and its drive when it believes in something and is moved by emotions because on this occasion, as on many others, “when people take action, positive things are achieved” as Helena González told me, the driving force behind the Facebook page Collective of Users-Affected by the Municipal Swimming Pool of Puerto de la Cruz, created eight years ago today.
In July 1975, the so-called Olympic Pool and Diving Well was inaugurated, certified as such at that time by the Spanish Swimming Federation. This was a historic milestone, especially for those who up to that point had to train at the Lido de San Telmo pool, which measured 33 meters. This was undoubtedly the beginning of a series of sporting events that positioned Tenerife as a reference point in this sport. Juan Carlos Marrero, former councillor of the Puerto de la Cruz City Council, grew up in these facilities under the guidance of his father, José Antonio Marrero, who was the president of the Martiánez Swimming Club in two different periods from 1961 onwards and, from 1995 onwards, the honorary president of the aforementioned club, with over 30 years on the board of directors.
Special Offer on the Brand-New Aquatic Sports Centre / Marta Casanova
Marrero fondly recalls his early training sessions with Pedro Martínez or Manuel González Galindo, at seven in the morning, at noon, and after school, alongside over 25 swimmers, with the water temperature not exceeding 20 degrees. Later, Miguel Pedarrodona arrived, the first mainland coach who introduced water polo to Tenerife. It was in 1980 that Pedro Lucas joined, and together with his wife, María Teresa Nogués, they introduced aquatic rescue, lifeguarding, and synchronized swimming.
This facility hosted prominent international events such as the absolute swimming championship in 1981, which was a significant milestone as it was very challenging at that time to host such events outside of Madrid or Barcelona, not to mention the International Atlantic Tournament which took place for fifteen years at these facilities, bringing together the world’s best swimmers from teams hailing from China, Israel, Italy, Germany, France, and numerous other countries every Easter with the best swimmers. Another memorable event from that golden era was the twenty-four hours of continuous swimming in which between 12 and 14 athletes participated.
The pool, demolished in March 2020 due to its deplorable condition, was ultimately the home and epicentre for over 400 swimmers of all levels, not to mention the nearly one thousand children and even adults who came from El Sauzal to Buenavista for summer courses.
Pedro Hernández was a swimmer and water polo player for the Martiánez Club’s first team, which ascended to the national category in 1990. Living almost like a family with elite athletes from all over the world was one of the best situations he recalls until they “also became elite athletes with great effort by participating in the Spanish lifeguard team, the national swimming championships, and water polo.” “But undoubtedly, the most notable achievement was becoming a top division water polo team, the greatest accomplishment during the years of that pool,” he explains.
Pedro passes by the construction site of the new pool almost daily and feels happy and hopeful that those past accomplishments can be recovered there without losing the essence it once had. Another water polo player, Juan Pablo Sánchez, also a coach, remembers this era as unique in a leading team in Canary Islands and Spain in water polo. “Now, I would like to be part of the history that begins with the new infrastructure, and that we are taken into account,” he concludes.
Angy Ortiz was once awarded the title of the best athlete in Tenerife. She recalls how, alongside her sister Rosi, a world runner-up in lifeguarding, she began training and participating in regional and national synchronized swimming competitions, finishing sixth in Spain in the figures category. Later on, she started competing in lifeguarding, achieving numerous successes like becoming the Spanish champion and world runner-up with the Spanish team. “Without a doubt, the atmosphere of success that was breathed there and was contagious contributed to creating that spirit of sportsmanship and competitiveness. I hope the pool regains that magic it once had, and we can witness new successful athletes emerge.”
Former swimmer Beatriz Gutiérrez speaks in similar terms about a life-changing experience linked to swimming that has defined her as a person. I could continue to mention numerous individuals with anecdotes and experiences at a facility that was originally municipal until February 2016 when the Island Council decided to poke its nose where it didn’t belong to begin writing the new chapter of the Insular Sports Centre.
Aquatic Adventures and some of that blame lies with this newspaper. Ultimately, that’s the purpose of journalism, to uncover what’s wrong and urge those responsible to find solutions so that things can ultimately improve.
It was in February 2016 when the then correspondent for EL DÍA in the North, Raúl Sánchez, published a picture of synchronized swimming girls training on the pier. The photo was accompanied by the following headline: “Training on the pier due to the closure of the municipal pool in Puerto de la Cruz”. This situation occurred after a serious breakdown added to the continuous deficiencies of an obsolete and neglected infrastructure that has forced its users to find alternatives until today. Something similar, by the way, to what is happening now with the parking lot at Plaza de Europa, which we will talk about another day.
Special Offer for the brand new Aquatic Sports Centre / Marta Casanova
This news quickly caught the attention of the then President of the Island Council, Carlos Alonso, who shared the newspaper image on his Facebook profile with the comment: “This cannot be allowed! A solution must be found.” It was then that the procedures began for the agreement between the Island Corporation and the City Council, led at the time by Lope Afonso, which would lead to the transfer of responsibilities to carry out this ambitious project as the Insular Aquatic Sports Centre. The process started with the drafting of a project of this nature, authorization from the Coastal authorities for the use of the land, and a tedious process that included the eviction of squatters who had taken over the facilities.
However, this supposedly progressing procedure took a turn on October 22, 2019. Three months after the motion of no confidence against President Carlos Alonso, the new government team decided to shelve the tender process for the construction works, citing a series of arguments that once again raised concerns among the residents, highlighting an “excessive cost” for the intended use.
The social response was immediate, especially through the Facebook group “Collective of Users-Affected by the Municipal Pool in Puerto de la Cruz”. Helena Sánchez had created this group in 2016 when they were told they could no longer use the facilities. “At that time, I was training with the master group at Martiánez, reconnected to this hobby, and we were preparing for the swimming crossings known as ‘Fearless’. It was a real shock because I couldn’t believe that such an emblematic facility where half of Puerto and part of the Valley had learned to swim could be left in such an abandoned state that it had been dragging for some years to the point of having to close,” explains Helena, adding: “We then decided to open this group aimed at the heart. We wanted to evoke emotions with anecdotes, photos, stories about that place that meant so much to many of us, without intending to create any controversy. We also aimed to have unanimous support from groups, clubs, swimmers, but there was a certain reluctance to appear publicly, although we also felt great anonymous support. And so I personally decided, and through some videos that are still posted, to speak from the heart about what belonging to that group meant to me through synchronized swimming that allowed me, at 9 years old, to compete off the Island and share unique experiences. That’s what I asked people to do: contribute memories and emotions.”
Later on, another resident of Puerto, Yanira Pérez, upon seeing the project put on hold by the Island Council, immediately contacted Helena’s Facebook group and together with Rebeca Iannaccone, they got to work with the ‘Move for the Pool’ movement. “We had several meetings at Cafe Ebano with brainstorming sessions, a lot of enthusiasm, and a desire to change things. We started the signature collection campaign through the change.org platform, designed t-shirts, and a series of actions that we didn’t get to finish because the media and social media buzz, especially on the Facebook page, was so intense that the authorities at that time gave up on their attempt to stop a project that already had a budget and all the necessary approvals for its completion,” Yanira tells us. “I am convinced that if we had remained silent, we would have been given the run around or maybe not even had the opportunity. Unfortunately, Rebeca left us prematurely and will not see the work completed, but wherever she is, she will feel proud of the achievement,” Yanira concludes.
From now on, an important aspect remains to be defined regarding the future management of the facilities that have involved an investment of 13 million Euros by the island administration and will feature an Olympic pool of 50 meters, another of 25 meters, training rooms, changing rooms, offices, a medical centre, cafeteria, and a multipurpose room with a capacity for 600 people, although it can be expanded to accommodate up to a thousand seats.
