Estarreja Nautical Station

Estarreja is a territory strongly linked to water... The entire territory west of the municipality is bathed by the arms of the Ria de Aveiro lagoon. Approximately 26% of the municipality of Estarreja is part of the Special Protection Area (SPA) of the Ria de Aveiro, under the Natura 2000 network, and the Estarreja community considers this natural element one of its defining characteristics. In the shipyards of the parish of Pardilhó, traditional wooden boats are still being crafted by master carpenters.

This activity is at risk of extinction, but it is our intention to ensure its continuity through the teaching of the art and the passing on of memories and testimonies to younger generations, in order to preserve, both materially and immaterially, this key element of the territory's identity.

The Municipality has been investing in the preservation of traditions, memories, and activities linked to the Ria, creating tourism products related to Nature and Nautical Tourism. We are a municipality with a clear vocation for nautical activities and where nature tourism presents enormous potential, an undeniable example being the BioRia project, which receives more than 30,000 visitors annually. In a context of continuous enhancement of the Ria (estuary), the Estarreja Municipal Council intends to take another step towards establishing itself as a nautical tourism destination, with a clear focus on cross-selling with nature tourism.

The natural setting and associated natural and cultural resources (traditional boats, rice cultivation) are unique characteristics that the municipality intends to value and enhance as elements of a qualified and distinctive nautical tourism offer. It is fundamental that the planning process for tourism activities focuses on strategies compatible with the particularities of the municipality's natural elements. Thus, the Municipality intends to coordinate the activities developed within the Estarreja Nautical Station, aiming to promote the territory as a privileged location for nautical tourism, guaranteeing economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

The municipality of Estarreja is an integral part of the Baixo Vouga sub-region, located in the NW area of ​​NUT II – Central Region. Occupying an approximate area of ​​108 km², it encompasses five parishes (Avanca and Pardilhó, to the north, Union of Parishes of Beduído and Veiros, in the center, and Salreu, Union of Parishes of Canelas and Fermelã, to the south) and has 26,074 inhabitants (INE, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population – 2017). It belongs to the District of Aveiro and is bordered by the municipalities of Ovar to the north-northwest, Aveiro to the south, Murtosa to the west, Oliveira de Azeméis to the northeast, and Albergaria-a-Velha to the east-southeast. Geographically, Estarreja is also part of the Ria de Aveiro Territorial Area (mainly through the parish of Pardilhó and the Union of Parishes of Beduído and Veiros) together with the neighboring municipalities of Ovar, Murtosa, and Aveiro, as well as Ílhavo, Vagos, and Mira (already in the District of Coimbra), covering an approximate length of 45 km and occupying a net area of ​​5,000 hectares. It is characterized by the existence of streams and canals in all parishes. This marine influence creates a diversity of biotopes within and around the area (open waters, islands with vegetation, mudflats and silts, mangroves, salt marshes, and agricultural fields), which are of great ecological importance.

The entire municipality is heavily crisscrossed by waterways, the most important being the Antuã River, characterized by well-protected banks where slopes sometimes exceed 25%, while simultaneously imbuing the landscape with a surprising and bucolic charm, thanks to the dams and watermills along its course.

The two poles of the Nautical Station are:

• Ribeira da Aldeia, in Pardilhó, where the Naval Construction Interpretation Center is located;
• Ribeiro de Salreu, where the BioRia Environmental Interpretation Center is located.