Los Silos Revives Agua Dulce Coastal Road Relocation Plan

The Los Silos Town Council, located in northern Tenerife, has begun a public review process. They plan to change their main town planning document (PGO) for the area around Agua Dulce beach. This move aims to fix a coastal road that is partly closed because of landslide risks. It also seeks to better integrate the coastline with its natural surroundings. This goal has been attempted for 15 years, but has always faced difficulties and administrative hurdles.

This new effort, pushed by the current local government (PSOE and USP parties), revives a project with a complicated past. Back in 2011, a socialist government tried to move the road, but couldn't get agreement from the nearby landowners. Later, in 2019, another proposed change was stopped because a required archaeological report was never completed. Between 2019 and 2023, when a different government (CC-PP) was in charge, the road's condition worsened, leading to one lane being closed. That archaeological report was still not processed, and the road remains partly closed today.

The proposed changes to the PGO, along with a required environmental report, have been sent to the Cabildo de Tenerife for approval. Experts have suggested three options, with the second one considered the best for the environment. This option involves moving the road (called SGRV-3) further inland and to a higher spot, away from the coast and the entrance of the Sibora ravine. The aim is to combine this road relocation with a complete upgrade of the coastal area. However, the environmental report does mention that there will be temporary impacts during construction, such as digging and the use of heavy machinery.

According to the project's technical expert, the long-term effects are expected to be "clearly positive." These benefits include less risk of flooding, better integration of the road into the landscape, environmental recovery of the coastal area, and more space for public use. The main challenge, however, is the ownership of the land where the new road would be built. Los Silos Mayor, Carmen Luz Baso Lorenzo (PSOE), is concerned that landowners might refuse permission again, which stopped the project fifteen years ago. The Mayor admits that the initiative likely won't be finished during her current term, but she stresses that getting the PGO modification approved is a vital first step.

The core idea behind this project, which was funded by the Provincial Coastal Service of Tenerife, is to "return space to the sea" and avoid building on public land. This approach stands in contrast to the municipal swimming pool, whose fate is still being decided by the General Directorate of Coasts and Management of the Canarian Maritime Space. To speed up the process and highlight its importance, the Mayor hopes the Cabildo de Tenerife will declare the Agua Dulce restoration project to be of "insular interest." This special designation helps strategic initiatives move forward more quickly, similar to how the Underwater Gardens in Guía de Isora have been classified since 2024.