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 Daily news from the Canaries and the islands' biggest English language newspaper on-line A hotel with a big difference Hotel San Blas Ambiental Reserve When the AQA hotel chain purchased the plot of land next to the natural pebble beach at San Blas (between Golf del Sur and Los Abrigos), they originally planned to build a Caribbean style hotel with golfing facilities.  To create a hotel and an environmental reserve, not only the plot of land for the hotel was purchased, but all of the reserve area of the barranco of San Blas which has had several uses over the last several thousand years. It covers a total of around one million square metres. Guanches (the original aborigine inhabitants of the island) lived there in caves which still exist, and were totally self sufficient. Later on, bearing in mind its close proximity to the sea, Canarians fished in the sea, while the local women concentrated on exchanging the fish for other goods such as fruit and vegetables. Then tomatoes were grown, and tracks through the barranco which still exist formed a popular route to the sea from where they would be taken to Santa Cruz for export abroad, especially to the UK. More recently in the sixties, the barranco became a dumping ground, a car breaker’s yard, motocross circuit and was used for hunting – all with no respect for the history buried within it. As an environmental reserve and part of a five star hotel complex, every effort has been made to recover the natural values of this beautiful area by cleaning it, making good the existing tracks, and creating accesses and more paths. Archaelogical finds in the area gave many clues to the customs of the Guanches, and local people have shared their memories of more recent years such as the fifties when they made a living out of growing cereals and tomatoes, for which they constructed a dam from the rocks found in the barranco. The hotel itself is an attractive low level complex with its design based on the forms, colours and textures of the reserve. The buildings have been constructed with natural materials and the gardens planted with species unique to the local area. Conservation of the environment is important at this hotel, where full advantage is taken of natural resources including the use of solar panels, low consumption bulbs and an osmosis desalination plant. The complex also has an eco-finca (farm) where organic waste is put to good use as compost and more endemic plants are grown. Water consumption is restricted by the use of lever taps, twin discharge cisterns and limited water flow in taps and showers. Soapy water from one group of hotel rooms (from showers and wash basins) is treated and re-used to supply the cisterns of the same block which represents ten per cent of the hotel’s rooms. Salt water is used in the artificial lake and partially to fill the eight swimming pools in the complex (three of which are for children). The hotel has 331 rooms of which 276 can accommodate three adults or two adults and one child, 50 are suites for three adults or two adults and two children, and five are accessible rooms for three adults and one child. All rooms are equipped with hydromassage bath and separate shower, magnifying mirror, hairdryer, mini-bar, safe, 32-inch LCD screen, satellite TV, internet access, air conditioning and room service. There is also a navigable lake with its own jetty which is surrounded by gardens. Here you can cross the lake in small boats or practice local sports or games. There are buffet and a la carte restaurants – La Proa specialises in Mediterranean cuisine, especially seafood and rice, the Barlovento specialises in Italian cuisine such as home-made pasta and pizzas, and the Sotavento serves Canarian meat, fish and seafood dishes. The buffet, La Cueva de Atxoña, serves dietary specialities for vegetarians and children, and also special menus on theme nights. There are three bars plus a beautifully designed pool bar, the construction of which was inspired by the traditional stone buildings used to dry cheeses. The hotel also has a children’s club, an auditorium, two conference rooms, a show hall, disco and its own plaza, almost like an amphitheatre, which can be used for popular and festive events. For those seeking a more active holiday, with direct access to the beach there is the sports club with tennis and paddle courts, two for beach volleyball, and a rock climbing wall. To keep you fit there is a gym and fitness room, mini spa, two massage rooms, sauna, ice fountain and an indoor swimming pool with hydromassage baths. A game of golf is also easy, just visit the clubhouse and make your booking – transport will be provided. The clubhouse can also supply information about excursions and other visits, find or confirm your flights, and make restaurant reservations. The natural pebble beach and public coastal footpaths are soon to be renovated by the island authorities, making this an even more attractive area with a sandy beach. The Hotel San Blas Ambiental Reserve is quite unique in that it has its own interpretation centre. The historical experience tunnel takes you through three different stages where you can feel how it was to live through the most significant times in Tenerife, from prehistoric to present day. The museum displays the biodiversity of the San Blas area, its origin, its natural resources, how it was formed and how it has been used by humans over the years. If you choose to take the guided walk through the reserve in the barranco, you will be shown several audio-visual presentations first which explain these subjects in great detail. Memories and photographs of the most recent times have been supplied by local people who are still here to tell the tale. There is also a graphic exhibition of how the reserve was created. The studies which make up the interpretation centre have been assessed by both the University of La Laguna and Tenerife’s independent museums organisation, and the San Blas Ambiental Reserve museum will soon become part of that network. Guests can take the guided walk through the barranco in the early part of the day, when they will find actors along the way displaying the Canarian way of life through the ages. After climbing the steps to reach the top of the dam, you cross the reservoir by boat and continue the walk to the end of the barranco where there is a waterfall and pool. You will be driven back to the hotel in an electric vehicle. Alternatively, guests can simply walk through the barranco in the afternoons and early evenings to enjoy the breathtaking scenery. In the future, this walk will be open to the public but at the moment, with more work to be done, it is restricted to hotel guests. It is extremely difficult to describe the Hotel San Blas Ambiental Reserve in just a couple of sentences, it is something which you have to experience for yourself. You can take an active sporting holiday, relax and concentrate on the sun and the sea, or be fascinated by the history and culture of the area, all with five star facilities. It’s up to you. By Theresa Wilson
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