Viana do Castelo opens a new era for its marinas
The Administration of the Ports of Douro, Leixões and Viana do Castelo (APDL) has awarded the concession of the Viana do Castelo marinas —Doca Montante, Doca Juzante, and Doca Comercial— to Viana Rio, a newly created management company. The agreement includes a commitment to an initial investment of 3.5 million euros within the first three years and a transformative vision of the nautical facilities as an economic, social, and cultural engine for the city. The project foresees close collaboration with the Viana do Castelo City Council, to whom the promoters express their gratitude for the trust placed in this initiative.
A MILESTONE FOR NAUTICAL ACTIVITIES AND FOR THE CITY
The sports marinas of Viana do Castelo occupy a central place in the life of the city and its projection abroad. Located on the banks of the Lima River, in a strategic geographical position between Porto and Galicia, these three facilities constitute a gateway to the North Atlantic for sailors from all over Europe and a benchmark for recreational boating in the northwest of the peninsula.
With the awarding of their private management for the next 30 years to Viana Rio, a decisive stage opens for the development of the nautical, sporting, and tourist potential of Viana do Castelo. The new management company arrives with an integral project that goes far beyond the mere administration of moorings, with the firm purpose of converting these facilities into an international reference for modern boating and a living space connecting the city and its river.
A PROJECT FOR THE CITY
More than a concession of nautical facilities, what the APDL has awarded is a Project for the City. Viana Rio does not only propose the management of three docks: it proposes a comprehensive transformation of the bond between Viana do Castelo and its river, with the marinas as a catalyst for economic, social, and cultural development for the entire community.
The project starts from a clear premise: the marinas must be for Viana do Castelo what the Lima River has always been for its inhabitants —an identity bond, a living space, a source of pride. Viana Rio proposes to preserve and enhance the city’s nautical memory —its fishing arts, its traditional vessels, its seafaring culture— while building, upon these foundations, a modern and competitive offer with international projection.
The facilities are also conceived as an educational and knowledge space for the youth and for visitors, with programs that bring everyone closer to the historical and natural richness of the Lima River and its estuary. A Project for the City is, above all, a project of people: of the Vianenses who were born by this river and of those who reach it from any point in the world.
FIRST-CLASS SPORT AND LEISURE INFRASTRUCTURE
The ambitious investment plan contemplates the progressive transformation of the three docks into an integrated complex that will bring together, under the umbrella of the marinas, an unprecedented sporting, gastronomic, and leisure offer in the region. One of the most prominent projects is the construction of a large, next-generation sports center within the marina premises, which will include:
— Modern gym: Over 2,000 m² equipped with the latest trends in fitness and comprehensive health management.
— Multipurpose rooms: For emerging disciplines and wellness programs.
— Padel and pickleball club: 12 courts, including a central court approved for high-level competition.
— FIP school and training center: International center for padel instructors in collaboration with the International Padel Federation.
— Catering and events: Dining spaces and a venue for hosting sporting, cultural, and corporate events.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT
Viana Rio will promote a Comprehensive Environmental Plan aimed at converting the marinas into a benchmark for nautical sustainability. The plan includes advanced water management and hydrocarbon separation systems, a vessel waste reception station compliant with the MARPOL Convention, the installation of photovoltaic panels, LED lighting with smart control, and charging points for electric and hybrid boating. This set of measures will allow Viana Rio to apply for the Blue Flag certification for marinas —the international benchmark standard for sustainability—, consolidating Viana do Castelo as a responsible nautical destination committed to the preservation of the Lima River.
THE PROJECT PROMOTERS
Viana Rio is led by three partners who combine decades of experience in sports, business, and the management of major leisure facilities:
Tiago Mendes
Athlete · Businessman · Ambassador of Viana do Castelo in the world
Born in Viana do Castelo (1981), Tiago Mendes is one of the most recognized Portuguese footballers of his generation. Formed at Sporting de Braga, he developed a brilliant international career in clubs such as Benfica, Chelsea, Olympique de Lyon, Juventus, and Atlético de Madrid, with whom he won the Europa League (2012), the Spanish League (2014), the Copa del Rey (2013), and two European Super Cups. A Portuguese international on more than 60 occasions, he played in the World Cups of Germany 2006 —reaching the semifinals— and South Africa 2010. After his retirement as a player, he served as an assistant coach to Diego Pablo Simeone at Atlético de Madrid. His connection to Viana do Castelo makes him the natural symbol of a project that wants to return to the city the prominence it deserves.
“I have played in the best stadiums in the world, but the emotion I feel today is different. Viana do Castelo is my origin, and being able to contribute to this city growing from its river is something that goes far beyond sports. We want to build something that the Vianenses feel as their own.”
Adérito Faneca
Civil Engineer · Businessman · Viana do Castelo
Graduated in Civil Engineering from the University of Coimbra (1994) and a member of the Ordem dos Engenheiros (Order of Engineers), Adérito Faneca accumulates more than three decades of experience in the direction of engineering, infrastructure, and tourism and real estate promotion projects. His career spans from the general management of hydraulic and railway infrastructure companies with projects in France, Algeria, and Canada, to the rehabilitation of historical buildings in the center of Viana do Castelo through his company Azuldisponível. Vice-president of the Business Association of the Viana do Castelo district, he presides over the Nautical and Environmental Club of Castelo do Neiva and is, himself, a practitioner of windsurfing, kitesurfing, and stand-up paddle.
“I know perfectly well what these docks can become. We have the engineering, we have the team and, above all, we have the commitment to do it well. This is not a business project: it is a project for the city, and that requires a different way of working.”
Manuel Saucedo
Journalist · Director · Manager of Benchmark Venues in Spain
Born in Granada and graduated in Journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid, Manuel Saucedo is one of the most influential names in Spanish sports journalism and the management of leisure and entertainment facilities. For 35 years he worked at the daily newspaper Marca —12 of them as director (497,000 copies/day)—, being one of the architects of the publication becoming the most read newspaper in Spain. General Manager of Grupo Recoletos and Unidad Editorial. Currently, he is the managing director and shareholder of Impulsa Eventos e Instalações, S.A., the management company of the Movistar Arena —the second most active multipurpose venue in the world—, and presides over the company that manages the Somontes Sports Club (19 ha, Madrid). Founder of the Friends of the Alhambra Foundation.
“I have been lucky enough to manage some of the most important leisure spaces in Spain, and what I see in Viana do Castelo reminds me of the projects that gave me the most satisfaction: those with soul. Here there is a city, a river, and a history that deserve a stage at their height. That is exactly what we are going to build.”
A 30-YEAR CONCESSION: LONG-TERM VISION
The concession awarded by APDL to Viana Rio covers the three main docks of the Lima River —Doca Montante, Doca Juzante, and Doca Comercial— for a period of 30 years, with an initial investment commitment of 3.5 million euros in the first three fiscal years. This time horizon allows for ambitious planning and the sustainable construction of a project that aspires to become a benchmark for sports boating in the northwest of the peninsula.
The geographical position of Viana do Castelo, in the North Atlantic, between the ports of Porto and the Galician rías, converts it into a natural stopover for international navigation and a privileged connection point for European nautical circuits. Viana Rio proposes to capitalize on this potential to attract visitors, international regattas, and top-tier nautical events.
“The marinas of Viana do Castelo are, as of today, much more than a sports port. They are the starting point of a Project for the City: a collective commitment to the Lima River, to the seafaring history of Viana, and to the generations that deserve to find here a space for sport, culture, and pride. The world is beginning to know what Viana has to offer.”
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The management team of Viana Rio
