The forgotten landmark of Puerto de la Cruz
Like several other facilities in Puerto de la Cruz, the Punta de la Carretera service station has been languishing in a state of ruin and disuse for years. This decaying relic, which suffered a partial roof collapse and extensive other damage, stands as a stark monument to neglect in the northern town. Aside from some sporadic clean-up, debris removal, and securing work—and omitting the unknown results of negotiations between involved parties to plan a urban redevelopment—the installation, once declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) decades ago, remains in a deep slumber of indifference, a state that runs particularly deep in this part of the island.
A sclerotic corner of urban geography
This is yet another corner of Puerto de la Cruz’s urban landscape that has become sclerotic, with a noticeable lack of initiatives from social agents, the local government, or the opposition. These are difficult times for a municipality that is gradually becoming stagnant, suffering a clear loss of collective optimism. Anyone passing through the area, whether by car or on foot, is met with a shocking picture of abandonment: piled-up rubble, visible damage, and unusable spaces. This scene is utterly improper for one of the town’s most important road exits.
The visible decay of a cultural site
Of course, abandonment, a result of total closure and a lack of maintenance, reaches pitiable and even shameful levels when it is allowed to fester. The lower-level premises of the station have been closed for years. Even the doors and chains that once protected them and prevented vehicle access have given way, though some drivers still try to find space to park there. As the station is highly visible from both Cupido street and the ascending Agustín de Bethencourt road, the reality of its deterioration is plain to see and can be felt up close.
An architectural eyesore
The exterior structure of the building—where tree-like vegetation has now sprouted—shows various patches of damage, signs of further collapses, shattered glass, and peeling paint. In short, it has become an urban eyesore. It is impossible to maintain its BIC designation under these conditions, which have been sent into limbo—a place where neither the concession holder nor the local administration seems to have the will, or perhaps even the effective authority, to undertake refurbishment.
A legacy of originality lost to time
The BIC status was originally granted for the station’s unique architectural forms, erected opposite a skyscraper built during the peak of tourist development in the 1960s. And there it remains, with its evident traces of neglect: the Punta de la Carretera service station, a mere jumble of what once was. Someone needs to make a move to see if there’s a way out. We are aware of the concession holder’s intention, years ago, to activate a solution that clashed with the conceptions and certain rigidities of the BIC declaration. These made potential modifications, refurbishment tasks, and alternative uses difficult, if not impossible.
A call for action
But matters have now reached these unacceptable extremes, this dreadful reality that is an eyesore for all. Thousands of cars and people pass through the area daily. This ‘Star’ does not shine; it presents an unfriendly and unedifying face. Someone must take the step to thoroughly review its current reality, even though the negotiation process is undoubtedly fraught with difficulties. What cannot continue to happen is that we must simply keep swallowing this deplorable sight. Because we are still left with nothing, after the “star” burst. Only ruins remain.
