This year, for the first time, we were thrilled to take a group of our Abama owners to participate in the Vuelta al Teide, the most challenging cycling race in the country. Our experience on May 18th completely fulfilled our high expectations. Not only did all three of our participants cross the finish line, but they were able to create new friendships based on their mutual interest. We're sure this will vastly enrich their future stays in Tenerife.
Cycling experts consider this long-distance race to be one of the most challenging in Spain, so the number of enthusiastic participants has been growing year by year. In this, its eighth edition, more than 1,100 cyclists of 33 nationalities pedaled across and around this highest peak in Spain, whose altitude is 3,715 meters above sea level.
Athletes could choose whether to do the full race of 175 km, with 4400 m of altitude gain, or the half race, which was 95 km in length with 2000 m of altitude gain. Our participating owners chose the second option, starting from Santiago del Teide and arriving at the Martiánez Lake in Puerto de la Cruz, where an excited public and an open-air table of paella and beer awaited them. Exhausted, but very happy, the three were proud to have met their own records, with one even placing sixth in his category. We organized transport, lunch, and registration for them, and we can't wait to repeat the experience next year.
Besides being one of the most anticipated events in the Canary Islands sports calendar, the Vuelta al Teide has committed itself to the growing list of "Zero Waste" events by creating areas for the separation of waste, eliminating single-use cups, tracking CO2 emissions, and meting out penalties for dumping waste in unauthorized areas.
Sport and nature dovetail perfectly at Abama Resort Tenerife, and we're delighted to add the Vuelta al Teide to our list of special privileges available to the residents of our sustainable homes. We're incredibly lucky to live on an island whose overall strategy is to build a sustainable tourism destination that remains an ideal space for outdoor physical activities.
