Lago Martiánez facts for kids
Lago Martiánez is a super cool outdoor swimming pool complex. You can find it in Puerto de la Cruz, a town in Tenerife, which is one of the Canary Islands in Spain. This fun park covers a huge area, about 100,000 square meters, and its main feature is a big artificial lake. Lago Martiánez also has several islands, pretty gardens, places to eat, bars, and sunny terraces.
A famous artist and architect named César Manrique designed this amazing place. He used lots of volcanic rocks in his design. Lago Martiánez mixes Manrique’s unique ideas with local touches. You'll see things like old towers (called bartizans), fences (like palisades), and awesome views of the ocean. Besides the buildings, you can also spot many of Manrique’s sculptures here.
People often call Lago Martiánez simply "el Lago" (which means "the Lake"). It was built in an area called "Llanos de Martiánez." This spot used to have natural pools, like "la Coronela" and "la Soga." The first tourists started visiting Llanos de Martiánez way back in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Building the First Pools
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The first part of the project focused on the municipal pools. These pools were once known as "los Alisios." An engineer named Juan Alfredo handled all the technical plans. Meanwhile, César Manrique was in charge of all the creative and artistic ideas.
Manrique blended his special architectural style with the traditional buildings of the Canary Islands. He added elements from plants and animals, along with unique and new sculptures. Two examples of his sculptures are ‘Los Alisios’ and "la Jibia" (which means cuttlefish).
Lago Martiánez first opened its doors in 1971. Back then, it covered 8,000 square meters. It had two swimming pools for adults, one pool for children, and two bars called ‘los Alisios’ and ‘la Isla’. The park has special machines that fill the pools with sea water. These machines are hidden so they fit in with the park's artistic look.
The Big Lake is Built
After the first part was finished, the same team of engineers and artists kept working. They started the next phase in 1975 and finished it on April 30, 1977. This second stage involved building a huge artificial lake. It looks like a giant, green emerald.
The lake is filled with sea water and surrounded by sandy areas, gardens, and sunny spots (called solariums). This artificial lake and its islands cover 33,000 square meters. About 15,000 square meters of that is just water!
Modern Makeover
Between 2004 and 2006, Lago Martiánez got a big upgrade. They made many improvements, including adding new lights to the pools and walking paths (called promenades). The Fundación César Manrique, which works to protect the artist's creations, watched over all the work.
The newly improved park reopened in July 2006. There's a place called Sala Andrómeda on the lake's central island. This building is home to Puerto de la Cruz’s casino. It used to be located inside the Hotel Taoro.
See also
In Spanish: Lago Martiánez para niños
