Long serving CD Tenerife fans have always expected the unexpected from their heroes but this 4-1 home blitz of UD Las Palmas from Gran Canaria was as surprising as the high octane style of play that earned the bragging rights. Goals have been as fleeting as Haileys Comet in the Heliodoro but Enric Gallego took the game by the scruff of the neck within 25 seconds of kick off. A pacey raid down the right and the big striker picked out the top corner of the goal with precision and power.
There was hardly time to celebrate before Tenerife were two goals to the good, the big man latched onto a nifty build up and subtle pass from Romero, and cracked the ball past the bewildered keeper. Life has been getting better by the day for Gallego, he celebrated his goal haul and upcoming status as a first time father, as the near 18,000 crowd roared their approval. With Las Palmas praying for the halft time whistle, Romero put a weak shot wide, but he was back again with a deep midfield pass for the hard working Waldo to make it 3-0 from a tight angle at the break.
Las Palmas looked shell shocked and their travelling fans were stunned into silence. Tenerife kept up the pressure as the game resumed. Even changes to the starting line up failed to derail Tenerife, David Rodriguez, another youth product got a rare run out. After 81 minutes Las Palmas finally did something when Alvaro Jimenez threaded through the home defence to score a consolation goal. The final word had to belong to CD Tenerife, in injury time Cardona made a clumsy foul and Nacho stepped up to top a wonderful evening for the home fans.
Even at 1,300 metres long and 80 metres wide, Las Teresitas beach gets packed out in the long summer school break. The 30 minute drive from Santa Cruz merely heightens the anticipation of enjoying the imported orange sand and gently shelving ocean behond a series of protective rocky dykes that calm the waves. Las Teresitas was first suggested in 1967 but not completed and opened until 1973.
Planning and building irregularities of adjoining commercial buildings dogged the project for years, finally it was able to add more modern infrastructure and has blossomed into a magnificent leisure area. It was nice to see shelter shaped structures being set up along the border of the beach and back road. These solar power stations will produce the electricity to supply the 8 kiosks and cafes that offer shade and comfort for beach users. Canary Solar of La Laguna were quick to reply to my email with more details. “Photovoltaic isolated systems producing 12 kilowats of power, and victron investors with lithium batteries” The latest in eco friendly tech.
Now there are new choices for the beach crowd, nearer the Tenerife capital. The Valleseco stretch of coast between the old industrial port and the modern cruise liner docks has just unveiled El Bloque bathing zone with dark sand, play areas, and young trees to add future shade. It´s an impressive transformation and work is pressing ahead nearer to the heart of Santa Cruz for a slightly bigger bathing spot. Dredging, terraforming, and wave calming concrete blocks are slotting into the jigsaw. Between the two new additions is an old concrete and metal pier where coal used to arrive from Corey brothers of Cardiff in 1908. It´s nice to see that link to the industrial history of the island preserved. Along with the oil tanks they give an insight into vital link that Santa Cruz played in the opening up of Atlantic trade routes.
Gentle bird song and an explosion of flowers and ferns was a backdrop to the circular road up the 360 metre high recreation zone of Parque Las Mesas (park of the tables). Spread over panoramic views of Tenerifes capital city and port of Santa Cruz, the distant shimmering runways of Tenerife North airport were quite a contrast to natures elevated outpost.
Topped with power pylons and transmitter aerials, it´s an important technical hub as well as a comforing guardian looking down on the land and sea below. It´s revival time for the park, conceived in 1960, closed briefly, and just about to start a major makeover when COVID put plans on hold. With a budget of just under a million euros, the latest completion date is April 2023, but it still showed plenty of style on my visit.
Valleys below boasted clutches of modern housing as I stepped off the 912 TITSA bus (half hourly from outside the glass fronted bus terminus at one end of the tram line.Chugging up the steep twisting modern road, the final stop at Los Campitos revealed a small community clinging to a craggy peak.
A cracked and aged tarmac road threaded away towards the main part of the park as stunning views unlocked a living map of large parts of Tenerife. I was thrilled to get a birds eye view of CD Tenerife´s Heliodoro stadium, just a short glance inland from the iconic Auditorium. Jagged rocks peeked through the surrounding grass and trees as the road carried on for about 30 minutes before the signs for the main park appeared.
Limited parking spaces were available outside one of the admin hubs, and large wheely bins for eco recycling of rubbish were on hand to encourage good manners from visitors. The recreation area unfurled before me with views of the poer at a lower level, as well as the emergence of terracing equipped with sturdy concrete tables for picnics and barbecues – some smoke was already twirling in the gentle breeze.
It´s a work in progress, an abandoned cafe offered further potential once the full upgrade is complete. An old open hard court hinted at athletic activities and all the layouts were well planned to allow personal space for all the gathering families and groups that can wallow in this chunk of nature on high. It was mostly fine touches and cosmetic tweaks that were being awaited for the park, nature supplies the rest.
Parque Las Mesas is a wonderful asset for Santa Cruz and will appeal again to all ages. The fact that it is all so close to the main travel arteries and commercial attractions of the city below, just add to the adventure. The return trip from Los Campitos drop off point is a nice downward walk of about 40 minutes, but it´s good to know the bus is so frequent and picks up at various points on the way back to the big city.
All the action happened before the CD Tenerife v SD Eibar game had even officially started. January loan signing Kike Salas was set to make his debut but pulled up with an injury in the warm up and had to be replaced with Jose Leon. Then the recently elected Santa Cruz Carnaval Queen made the ceremonial kick off ahead of the World Day Of The Woman. Alas, the honoured guests flick of her high heels was about the best foot home work to be seen all evening as Tenerife´s lack of cutting edge played a big part in their 0-1 defeat.
Eibar were strong and well organised but Tenerife showed hopeful signs with Mellot and Nacho pushing up from the full back slots. On the half hour Tenerife had their first decent goal chance but a soft shot gave the visiting keeper few worries. Eibar then gave a lesson in decisive finishing, Corpas sliced through two defenders and from an acute angle fired the ball just beyond the despairing fingers of Soriano to take the lead.
Regular Tenerife fans know better than to expect assistance from the referee, and it proved true again just into the second half when Garces beat the goalie but the ref ruled a handball against Alexandre in the build up. VAR wasn´t even offered as a check, and later replays showed it was the slightest of contact at worst, and in no way intentional. Eibar boosted by a 100 or so travelling fans, kept their game tight to restrict Tenerife. The home changes came late, after 72 minutes with Jose Angel Jurado and Elady for Aitor Sanz and Garces, but the lack of fire power looked just as glaringly obvious. The 13,220 crowd were not to get any last minute elation, the weekend ended with Tenerife in 13th place and hopeful eyes looking to the home derby with island rivals Las Palmas in two weeks. Mid table mediocrity seems the best the faithful can hope for this season.
