A new river beach is being built in Portugal and should be completed in the summer of 2027. The infrastructure will be located next to the Santo Antão da Barca Sanctuary, in Alfândega da Fé, and represents an estimated investment of 900 thousand euros, part of a strategy to enhance tourism and boost nautical activities.
According to the Lusa news agency, the project began around three months ago and includes a set of interventions aimed at preparing the area and improving conditions for access and use of that water body.
What will be born next to the sanctuary
In addition to the requalification of the surrounding space, access is planned between the sanctuary and the future bathing area. According to the same source, a floating pool will also be built, as well as a boat dock.
The pier will be built in a later phase of the intervention. The news agency writes that this component is not part of the initial schedule for the work currently underway.
Investment of 900,000 euros
The total cost of the project is set at 900,000 euros. The same source adds that 750,000 euros will be provided by Movhera, as an environmental contribution associated with the construction of the dam, with the remainder of the amount borne by the municipality.
The award was only possible on the third attempt. The first two public tenders were deserted, which required the procedure to be repeated until an executing entity was found.
A process that has been going on for years
The river beach is part of a socioeconomic development plan that involves the municipalities of Alfândega da Fé, Torre de Moncorvo, Macedo de Cavaleiros and Mogadouro. The objective is to create infrastructure that promotes tourism and encourages the enjoyment of Lagos do Sabor.
It is important to highlight that the claim for this work dates back about a decade. Since 2016, there were attempts to secure the necessary licensing to carry out the project.
Licensing and financial reinforcement
The mayor of Alfândega da Fé, Eduardo Tavares, explained that the process faced several administrative and financial obstacles. “He spent three years at the Portuguese Environment Agency to be licensed. Afterwards, we also had financing problems, because there was a transition of this hydroelectric development from EDP to Movhera”, he said.
The mayor added that the initially predicted value underwent significant changes. “There were initial projections that pointed to 400,000 euros of investment, but, when we created the execution project, the value doubled and it was necessary to convince APA and Movhera that it was necessary to reinforce the initial agreement we had, and this still took some time”, he said, according to the same source.
New chapter in Lagos do Sabor
The Sabor Lakes are approximately 70 kilometers long and are the result of the construction of the Baixo Sabor dam, which came into operation in 2016. The new infrastructure appears as a complement to the facilities already existing in that area.
According to , completion of the work is scheduled for the summer of 2027, when the new river beach should open to the public, reinforcing the offer linked to leisure and nautical activities in the region.
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