Puerto de la Cruz's New €13M Pool Nears Opening After Decade-Long Wait
Puerto de la Cruz is set to open the new €13 million Tenerife Aquatic Sports Center (CDAT) after a decade-long wait, with local athletes already testing the state-of-the-art facilities.
The old municipal pool in Puerto de la Cruz closed at the end of 2015. Now, almost 10 years later, the popular tourist town is about to get a much-improved version of that seaside swimming spot in Martiánez. Some lucky people have already had a sneak peek and loved it.
The new facility is called the Tenerife Aquatic Sports Center (CDAT). It's a big project from the Island Council of Tenerife, costing over 13 million euros. It's designed for about 2,500 users a day, and some people are getting to try it out early.
For some local athletes, mainly from the CN Martiánez and CN Océano clubs, this trial run is a dream come true. The Island Council has given them the chance to be "guinea pigs," testing everything from the changing rooms to the two pools (50 and 25 meters) and the showers.
Chicho Báez, president of CN Martiánez, described the experience as "a day of celebration." He said, "We've returned to the home of Martiánez, especially for those who've been in the sport for 25 to 30 years. It gave us goosebumps."
Other club members like Michelle Mesa, Amanda Barreiro, Iván González, Melecio Tamajón, and Juan Pablo Sánchez (a former water polo star) shared the same excitement.
Even the younger athletes were thrilled. Carlos, Chicho's son, was only 10 months old when the old pool closed in 2015. He'd heard so much about it, and now he gets to experience this new version.
The youth academy of CN Océano also got to visit, with their president, Laly González, calling it "finally entering the temple." She said, "We've been able to return after so many years, and it's been exciting, nostalgic, and joyful."
CN Océano saw the Island Council's invitation as a party they couldn't miss. Members from their swimming, water polo, synchronized swimming, masters, and open water sections all took part. Laly said everyone who could be there, was there, and praised Ruymán Trujillo, the CDAT director, for his "good work."
Yolanda Moliné, the Island Council's Sports Councilor, was also pleased with the initial tests. She said the feedback from the users was positive, noting the emotion of both the masters athletes and the younger ones.
However, Moliné wants to wait for reports from the clubs and technicians before making any final judgments. If everything goes well, they'll increase the number of athletes testing the facilities. Moliné calls the CDAT "unique in the Canary Islands among public centers."
Pre-registration also opened on Wednesday to gauge interest in activities, age ranges, and preferred times.
Yolanda Moliné hopes to open the CDAT in the last three months of the year, assuming there are no major technical issues. The clubs are eager to start using the pool regularly, and when it finally opens, it's sure to be filled with excitement.