san marcos beach rescue tenerife

San Marcos beach rescue deal approved after decade of decay

Decade of neglect

The beach of San Marcos in Icod de los Vinos has long become a caricature of its former self. For at least ten years, this space has been waiting to be rescued from decline and, above all, to have its lost sands replenished. This Thursday, a window of opportunity opened: Tenerife Council approved an institutional agreement aimed at finally making its ‘rescue’ a reality.

Cross-party support

The key decision was taken during the plenary session held at the Palacio Insular. It was proposed by the Socialist Group and received the green light from all parties except Vox, who were not present at the session. In essence, the agreed document calls on the Canary Islands Government to speed up outstanding administrative procedures and act with the utmost urgency to allow the start of the project’s environmental assessment process, as well as the issuance of the necessary sectoral report on ports for its final approval.

Political blame game

The problem revolves around the fact that the beach has been caught in a spiral of degradation for some time, and the last proposed project has been stuck for years. Days ago, the mayor of Icod, Javier Sierra (from the Icod Alternative grouping), released videos accusing his predecessor in office and current regional Deputy Minister for Infrastructure, Francis González (from the Canarian Coalition), of blocking the rehabilitation plan. The issue reached the Cabildo’s plenary chamber this Thursday.

Funding demands

The agreement demands that the regional government allocate sufficient funding in its budgets – preferably in 2026 and at the latest in 2027 – to ensure the execution of the works, in coordination with the Spanish government, which is required to guarantee project financing through the extension or formalisation of the necessary agreements. In more detail, the Plenary calls for support from the state government and urges it to push forward with the extension of the agreement that previously allowed resources to be transferred to the Canary Islands, or failing that, to formalise a new agreement guaranteeing the funds needed to carry out the works.

Coordinated effort needed

The island institution considers that without this financial backing from the state, it will be impossible to move forward with any certainty. It therefore stresses the need for a coordinated response between administrations to avoid further prolonging a situation that directly affects the development of northern Tenerife. Furthermore, Tenerife Council reaffirms its commitment to actively collaborate in the technical development of the project, offering support in all aspects where it may be required, and even contemplates including funding in the island’s own budgets if necessary to guarantee the completion of the works.

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