07 Jun Absolute success of participation in the cross-border ecotourism activities ‘Vive o Rio Minho’

More than 400 people enjoyed walks and hikes, rafting, kayaking, cultural visits and visits to wineries held since April in the cross-border territory of the Rio Minho

Resounding success in hosting the ecotourism activities ‘VIVE_RIO_MINHO’, a program launched to promote and promote the cross-border territory of the Rio Minho as a nature destination. More than 400 people participated in the six days organized since April, in which the places offered for each weekend sold out in just minutes.

The participants were able to enjoy walks and hikes, rafting, kayaking, cultural visits and wineries were some of the activities of this initiative promoted by the Deputation of Pontevedra in collaboration with the EGTC Rio Minho and the CIM Alto Minho and the invaluable help of the cross-border municipalities.

In recent weeks, the program brought activities to the neighborhood such as a popular walk with a 15 km route from São Sebastião (Vila Nova de Cerveira) to Goián (Tomiño), crossing the Rio Minho by one of the territory’s international bridges; a hiking route along the Senda dos Pescadores rosaleira to then do the reverse route in a kayak along the river; a guided tour of the town of Melgaço and the Solar do Alvarinho in Portugal and then visit the Arabo Museum of wine and lamprey in Arbo, with rafting in the afternoon; a visit to Monçao and Salvaterra, with a visit to the Wine Science Museum and tasting; a route through the cetáreas in A Guarda with a visit to a winery and the Monastery of Oia and astronomical observation; and a visit to Caminha with a short route and a visit to the fort of Ínsua, an island located at the mouth of Miño.

The objective of this program of activities is to attract visitors to the territory of the cross-border Rio Minho to show its attractions and scenic, natural, cultural and gastronomic wealth within a destination strategically located and shared by two countries, always from a perspective of taking advantage of the tourist potential of sustainable and rational way to guarantee the quality of the offer as a tourist destination and without agglomerations sustained over time.

The VIVE_RIO_MINHO program is carried out within the project of the same name, co-financed with FEDER funds through the Interreg V-A POCTEP 2014-2020 program, as was done in the previous edition, held in 2020 and which, despite being in full pandemic, achieved a similar success of participation as this year, exhausting the available places also in just minutes.