The Algarve interior has a new bathing area in the municipality of Castro Marim, installed in the Odeleite dam, after the rains recorded in winter reestablished the water levels necessary to guarantee safe conditions.
The nautical center at the Odeleite dam has a bar, support structures and shaded areas on a hillside, allowing visitors to cool off in a pool installed in the water mirror and creating a new center of attraction for the interior of the Algarve, said the president of Castro Marim City Council, Filomena Sintra.
The mayor explained that the work was “very complex”, not only due to the need to approve a planning plan for the dam that “took many years to be published”, but also due to “many problems with the project” and the lack of water levels that would guarantee safety, in a context of drought in the region.
Filomena Sintra recalled that, last year, the swimming pools were already installed, “but there were not the total safety conditions necessary for the peaceful enjoyment of this space”, now reunited after winter rains raised the dam levels to values above 80%.
New bathing area aims to attract visitors to the interior
“The conditions are now met, we have concessioned the small bar here, which supports the lifeguards, there is an area for hats and umbrellas, which are duly identified and, (…) for now, there is no exploitation of the umbrellas installed by the municipality”, highlighted the mayor, highlighting the free nature of these shades.
The nautical center of the Odeleite dam wants to be a point of attraction in the interior of the municipality of Castro Marim, and could contribute to combating seasonality in winter, if the process to receive internships for canoeing and rowing athletes is completed in time, said Filomena Sintra.
The mayor highlighted that the nautical center “is not a large space” and “is not prepared for large masses”, but “is prepared for a small niche and to bring people to the interior” of the Algarve.
“If everything goes well and if it is duly authorized, we will have European canoeing teams doing internships here during the winter period, the low season, when there is no beach and there is only the component of other nautical activities”, he added, clarifying that the project is in the licensing phase.
Nautical center can host internships in winter
The municipality’s only requirement for the nautical center to be used for canoeing training is that the athletes’ accommodation be provided in the municipality of Castro Marim, he highlighted.
Odeleite is a parish in the municipality of Castro Marim, in the district of Faro, and the dam is located next to the village, around 15 kilometers from the municipality’s headquarters and around 20 kilometers from the Algarve coast.
The dam was built on the Odeleite river, a tributary of the Guadiana river and one of the main reserves of water for consumption in the Algarve.
With the creation of the nautical center, Castro Marim now has a bathing area in the interior of the municipality, halfway between the coastal beaches and the river beach of Alcoutim, located about 20 kilometers to the north.
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