Thursday, February 09, 2006
Garachico Funiculi' Funicula'
Here is a project that, if it receives public support and comes to fruition (I hope it does), will be both fun and useful for the town and port of Garachico - a funicular railway.
The aim is to connect - both socially and physically - the coastal area and town center of Garachico with other urban areas of the municipality; San Juan del Reparo, Genovés and La Montañeta, via a cable transport running up the La Culata cliff.
The Garachico funicular railway, which would be funded by a 6 million Euro private investment, has a planned capacity of 35 persons and would have arrivals and departures every minute and a half from the Parque Puerta de Tierra and the mirador in San Juan del Reparo - with discount prices for locals.
Of course, it would also provide a lovely entertainment for visitors to the town too, without being too impacting on the environment. (La Culata is a protected area, but is in a partial state of abandonment and ripe for a bit of renovation.)
The funicular in Garachico would be run by the company, Teleféricos Tenerife, who already run the cable car on Mount Teide. And there is another precedent for such a cliff railway on a volcano: the Vesuvius funicular, railway and chairlift, which inspired the well-known song, Funiculi' Funicula'.
Since it was an Italian, the banker from Genoa, Cristobal de Ponte, who founded Garachico in 1496 - and whose bust you will actually find in the Parque Puerta de Tierra - this seems highly relevant. Do you think he would have approved?
El gobierno local se plantea unir el casco y las medianías con un funicular
Garachico, su planificación urbanística y su modelo de desarrollo en el primer cuarto del siglo XXI
