In November 2020, a dire situation unfolded when the coastline of Los Roques in Fasnia faced irreversible deterioration.
At that time, the local Town Hall made the decision to close access routes between El Abrigo beach and the old swimming pool area of Bahía flats. This move was prompted by the discovery that the sea had eroded the lower part of the promenade’s retaining wall, causing cracks in the ground. This situation posed a serious threat to public safety.
This predicament was further complicated by the presence of the Bahía flats swimming pool, an emblem from the 1960s before the Coastal Law, with retroactive effect, reclaimed the coastline as public property in 1988. Consequently, the recreational area of the flats was deemed illegal by a Supreme Court ruling, leading it to remain abandoned and cordoned off for years.
Fasnia work: ten-year delays
In 2011, there was a project outline for the revitalization of Fasnia’s coastline under the “Tenerife and the Sea” program. However, little progress was made until the works were finally put out for tender in 2021.
The project encompassed two key areas: Los Roques and Las Eras. The latter area featured a deteriorating breakwater that was perilously close to collapsing, jeopardizing both the sandy shoreline and a popular spot for scuba divers on the island.
Mayor of Fasnia, Luis Javier González, successor to the former socialist mayor Damián Pérez who initiated the project, explained that “there were numerous delays over the ten-year period from project initiation to tendering, particularly in dealing with the Coastal Authorities (Costas).”
The completed works have granted Fasnia and Los Roques a new beach in addition to El Abrigo and Los Roques beaches. Additionally, the new beach at the Bahía flats has garnered significant attention on social media due to the visual impact of the sea appearing to enter the courtyard of the neighboring housing estate.
Mayor González stated, “The transformation has been very evident; it’s a geologically captivating site and the outcomes have sparked a surge of interest on social media.”
The rehabilitation of the Los Roques seafront has facilitated the creation of a fully accessible pedestrian pathway connecting the primary nucleus to the flats area. According to Luis Javier Delgado, “El Abrigo beach is in high demand, and now, with the works completed and the promenade established, we’ve seen an increase in visitors to all three beaches in the vicinity.”
Thanks to the completed works, the space is now barrier-free for walking. Furthermore, with all access points linked, the need to traverse 155 steps, which hindered the passage of ambulances and emergency vehicles, has been eliminated, greatly improving accessibility for emergencies.
Moreover, an additional aspect of the project involves the construction of a water treatment plant aimed at enhancing sanitation and preventing discharges into the sea. This addresses a significant issue faced by municipalities in the southern region.
Las Eras Beach
Moving to the Las Eras Beach, which constituted the second major aspect of the coastal works in Fasnia, the repair of its breakwater was of primary importance. In recent years, this breakwater had deteriorated to the brink of collapse, threatening the disappearance of the sandy shoreline situated between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the southwestern municipalities.
The breakwater has been reinforced using concrete blocks, involving an investment of 533,000 euros.
Each of these regions had its unique entry and exit connections. However, in one area, access was only possible via 115 steps, rendering it inaccessible to individuals with mobility challenges and preventing the passage of ambulances and emergency vehicles.
