La Orotava now boasts a new ‘green lung’. This is “a sustainable and multifunctional park” that required a total investment of approximately 1,500,000 euros. The new leisure and recreational space is located in the Los Trazos urbanisation, between the neighbourhoods of La Piedad, La Fariña, and Candelaria del Lomo. The facility covers an area of over 9,300 square metres.
The municipal government of La Orotava defines the installation as “sustainable” for several reasons: “The green areas have been designed for low water consumption and low maintenance, adapting to new climatic realities. Large green spaces have been created without the use of lawns or other plants that require a high expenditure of such an essential resource,” they explain in a statement.
A Thematic Garden with Native Plants
Thus, the new urban park becomes “a thematic garden featuring over a dozen native plants.” It includes a wide variety of Canarian vegetation, such as tabaibas, palo blanco, mocán, acebuche, beech, palm trees, dragon trees, madroños, barbusanos, Canary pines, and sabinas,” they enumerate.
According to the local government, having gardens filled with local flora makes the park also “a great educational space for Canarian flora and serves an educational purpose, allowing schoolchildren or anyone to learn more about the species.” One carefully considered aspect is the information provided; therefore, it features “explanatory panels detailing the characteristics of each species throughout the park.”
The topography of the land hosting this space “has posed challenges for the development of the project,” given that it has a steep gradient of up to 30% in places. Hence, the design includes paths and viewpoints that help to mitigate this aspect, complemented by other areas for visitors to enjoy.
Moreover, within the more than 9,300 square metres, there is an area designated for young children in a privileged setting, which also features a large terrace-viewpoint.
Another noteworthy aspect of the newly inaugurated space is a zone dedicated to exercise, which includes installations with bio-healthy games and an area for calisthenics.
Los Trazos is located amid neighbourhoods within the urban area of the town, a zone that has approximately 5,000 inhabitants. Nonetheless, the aim of the La Orotava City Council is for it to become an open space for the enjoyment of the general public.
11,000 Square Metres
The development of this urban park has improved Puenteareas Street and expanded the adjacent parking area. Thus, the overall scope of the project encompasses 11,000 square metres, including the creation of 36 parking spaces, two of which are for people with disabilities. The Council expects to expand the parking capacity to accommodate more vehicles.
Construction for this space, designed for leisure and adapted to the new climatic context, began in early 2024.
More Parks in the North
Soon, a new urban and sustainable park will be established in Northern Tenerife. The local government of Los Realejos is initiating the construction of the first facility of its kind in the municipality, specifically in the Toscal-Longuera neighbourhood. This represents an investment of more than 1,200,000 euros, funded by a grant from the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Canary Government.
The design of this space, covering nearly 2,000 square metres, aims to leverage local climatic features “to create a climate refuge that provides shade, coolness, and an improvement in air quality, becoming a model for sustainable and resilient infrastructure.”
This initiative will involve planting native species, enhancing biodiversity, and using green technologies.
