The municipal council approved the urban planning agreement two years ago, and now the special plan is published, opening a period for objections. Mayor Emiliano Coello highlights its importance for settling the population in the area.
The Vallehermoso Town Hall has taken a decisive step towards the construction of a large hotel complex on La Rajita beach, a project promoted by the Martinón group that aims to boost the economy of the La Dama region and its surroundings. The municipal council approved the necessary urban planning agreement two years ago, and now the publication of the Special Plan for La Rajita opens a one-month public information period for residents to submit objections.
The mayor of Vallehermoso, Emiliano Coello, explained that this initiative is fundamental for the economic and social development of La Dama and the neighbourhoods of Chipude, Igualero, and El Cercado. "We want to create opportunities for residents and settle the population in these areas, which have experienced demographic decline in recent decades," Coello stated. The project also aims to attract investments compatible with the agricultural, landscape, and environmental activities of the island.
La Rajita beach is one of the few on the Gomera coast that can be accessed by road, via the CV-17, which descends from La Dama over a distance of about two kilometres. However, access is not easy: from Valle Gran Rey, the journey can take nearly an hour along narrow, winding roads. For most of the year, the beach lacks services, although in summer a well-known kiosk attracts bathers and small boats that anchor in the bay.
The site has a strong historical significance. The skeleton of the old canning factory of Lloret and Llinares still stands there, famous for its "Gomero caviar" (salmon roe). The factory, closed in the mid-1970s, forced many workers to emigrate to Venezuela and Tenerife. For generations, since 1904, employees lived on-site, which even had a school for their children. Part of the dock and the factory still remain on land that was once a banana plantation owned by Pancho Mora.
The now-published Special Plan defines the urban planning of the La Rajita area, where the hotel construction is planned, as well as the conditions for its facilities, services, access, and associated spaces. The mayor has emphasized that this is "a significant step" for the processing of a hotel project that is important for the municipality, which could serve as a tourist boost for an area that has so far been underexploited.
During the public information period, anyone interested can consult the documentation and submit objections. The Town Hall hopes that once this phase is completed, the project can move forward towards obtaining licenses and starting construction, although a specific timeline has not yet been set.
The initiative has been supported by the local government team, but has faced opposition from opposition groups in the council, who expressed their rejection of the urban planning agreement two years ago. Nevertheless, the mayor is confident that the project will generate broad social consensus once its benefits for the region are known.
For the residents of La Dama, Chipude, Igualero, and El Cercado, the hotel represents a hope for employment and development in an area that has seen its young population emigrate in search of opportunities. "We want our children to be able to stay here, work, and live," Coello said. He assures that the project will be compatible with the preservation of the landscape and agricultural traditions of the island.
The publication of the Special Plan marks the countdown to making the dream of a hotel in La Rajita a reality, after years of processing. The next step will be the resolution of the objections and the final approval of the plan, which will allow the Martinón group to apply for the construction license.
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