Icod de los Vinos Tenders San Marcos Beach Lifeguard Service Amid Financial Dispute
The Icod de los Vinos City Council has launched a tender for the San Marcos beach lifeguard service to address long-standing administrative instability and a 100,000-euro debt owed to the current provider.
Public services at Icod de los Vinos’ coastline are facing a critical turning point due to administrative instability and significant debt, which officials warn is compromising bather safety. According to El Día, the City Council has finally put the San Marcos beach lifeguard service out to tender. This move comes amid financial strain, as the local government currently owes roughly 100,000 euros to the provider who has been operating without a formal contract for the past six years.
The new contract is valued at 375,732 euros for an initial two-year term, with an option to extend for a third. It aims to formalize a service that has relied on improvised arrangements for years. The requirements include a permanent team of four lifeguards, with coverage provided year-round. During the peak summer months (July to September), the beach will be monitored from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., while the hours will shift to 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for the remainder of the year.
The contract also mandates that the successful bidder invest 5,900 euros in new equipment, plus an annual 600-euro budget for maintenance and replacements. Crucially, the tender includes assistance for people with reduced mobility—a vital service given that the beach’s shifting sands and difficult terrain have made reaching the water increasingly challenging.
The current local administration (AI-PSOE) blames the long delay on the previous government, claiming they left behind a lack of proper administrative documentation. Meanwhile, Eladio Díaz Rodríguez, who has managed the service until now, confirmed he intends to bid for the contract. However, he has also announced he will stop operations on July 1st, citing more than a dozen unpaid invoices.
This ongoing dispute adds further uncertainty to San Marcos, a beach already struggling with structural decay. Successfully awarding this contract is a necessary step toward restoring order, but it remains a vital safety issue for a beach that serves as a key local landmark, even as residents continue to call for long-overdue regeneration projects.