Alto Côa Nautical Station

The administrative territory of reference for ENAC is the municipality of Sabugal in the Guarda District, statistical region of the Center and sub-region of Beiras e Serra da Estrela, established as an intermunicipal community in 2008.

It is located in the Central Border region, bordering the Province of Salamanca, located in the southwest of the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León, and is part of the NUT III Beira Interior Norte, in a markedly rural environment with a sometimes rugged and difficult landscape, preserving important ecological and natural values ​​(the Côa River and the Serra da Malcata Natural Reserve, which it shares with the Municipality of Penamacor to the South).

The municipality of Sabugal is one of the 14 municipalities in the Guarda district and is bordered to the north by the municipality of Almeida, to the east by Spain, to the south by the municipality of Penamacor, to the southwest by the municipality of Fundão, to the west by the municipality of Belmonte, and to the northwest by the municipality of Guarda.

The municipality of Sabugal has a territorial area of ​​approximately 822.70 km² distributed across 30 parishes, and in 2011, it had a total of 12,544 inhabitants, that is, with a population density of approximately 15.25 inhabitants/km² (INE, 2011). It is, however, the second most populous municipality in the Beira Interior Norte region (BIN), with 12.29% of the total population.

The municipality of Sabugal occupies an area of ​​822.7 km², which is equivalent to approximately 20.2% of the total area of ​​the sub-region of Beira Interior Norte and 3.5% of the Central Region.

Only the parish of Sabugal (where the municipal seat is located) is considered (by the INE - National Institute of Statistics) a moderately urban area, the others being rural in nature. Besides the city of Sabugal, which is undoubtedly the largest urban center in the municipality, the parish seat of Soito stands out in the urban network, since the remaining settlements are, in general, smaller in size.

The municipality of Sabugal is located within the Côa River basin, the most important river in the municipality. However, this territory is particularly relevant because it is associated with the Douro River Basin (RH3), since the Côa River is a tributary of the Douro River, but it is also associated with the Tagus River Basin (RH5) because a transfer system was created between the Sabugal dam and the Meimão dam (Penamacor), which belongs to the Zêzere River basin, a tributary of the Tagus River.

In 2000, the Sabugal dam was inaugurated near the municipal seat (5 km). The water surface and the surrounding area offer opportunities for leisure, sports, or contemplation activities. The Alfaiates reservoir is another location with similar characteristics. Along its course, the Côa River also provides river beaches and weirs, allowing for sport or recreational fishing.

The municipality of Sabugal boasts a rich diversity of ecosystems and biological communities, giving it a unique landscape.

The Serra da Malcata Natural Reserve (RNSM), established in October 1981 with the primary objective of protecting the ecosystem (Mediterranean scrubland) on which the Iberian lynx depends, encompasses a number of sensitive areas from the point of view of nature conservation and biodiversity. This Protected Area occupies the southern/southeastern part of the municipality, extending into the municipality of Penamacor to the south. The RNSM covers 5% of the municipality, which corresponds to 26% of the Reserve's area.

The Municipality of Sabugal has also dedicated special attention to promoting the territory, particularly tourism, as Sabugal has conditions suitable for nature tourism. More than half of the municipality is classified as a "Site of Community Importance – Natura 2000 Network," covering an area of ​​approximately 500 km², within which the Serra da Malcata Natural Reserve occupies about 42 km².

Sabugal possesses a diverse set of resources that give it ample potential for tourism development and enhancement. Its geographical location – proximity to the Serra da Estrela and Spain – is noteworthy, as is its natural heritage (Serra da Malcata, Côa River, Cró Hot Springs and Serra das Mesas), as well as its built, architectural and ethnographic heritage.

Sabugal: nature (forest); natural resources (renewable: water, wind); built heritage (castles).

The Municipality has a very diverse set of buildings and other structures with high heritage value, highlighting the Historic Village: Sortelha; the 5 medieval Castles, 3 of which are classified as National Monuments and 1 as a Property of Public Interest; the religious heritage: Romanesque churches, churches with late Renaissance and Mannerist characteristics, and churches with Baroque characteristics.

Jewish heritage, an integral part of the Jewish Quarter Route, and archaeological heritage: the municipality of Sabugal is recognized for the richness of its proto-historic and medieval archaeological heritage, also highlighting the legacy of Roman occupation during four centuries in this territory.

The Alto Côa Nautical Station (ENAC) is integrated into the Inland Waters Cultural Tourism strategy, as one of its structuring components, whose mission is: “To contribute to the affirmation of a center of excellence for tourism that offers nautical and mountain sports activities and nature tourism, respecting best environmental practices, and that motivates economic and social development, taking advantage of and integrating the surrounding landscape and regional culture that clearly identifies and differentiates the region.”

Framed within and derived from this intermunicipal strategy, ENAC's strategy is based on the objective of creating a hub for activities related to nautical sports and cultural and nature tourism, offered with high standards of quality and integration, generating wealth and development for the promoting region within its broader regional context.

In this context, ENAC's vision includes offering a sports and leisure destination, encompassing competition (high-altitude rowing and canoeing) and family leisure (from learning to free practice), in a vast and tranquil territory that includes the healthy and rural atmosphere of Alto Côa and the nature of Serra da Malcata, configuring a 'High-Altitude Nautical Hub: from competition to leisure'.

The Nautical Station thus presents itself as a network offering high-quality nautical tourism, organized from the integrated enhancement of the nautical resources present in the territory, including the provision of accommodation, restaurants, and other activities and services relevant to attracting tourists and other users whose main motivation for visiting is the practice of nautical activities and sports, adding value and creating diverse and integrated experiences.

The ENAC aims to be a driving force for tourism in the Municipality, constituting itself as a strategic core for the region, promoting and driving the development of a whole network of activities that integrate the three basic elements of the two Municipalities: the reservoir, the landscape, and the culture.