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Monte Gordo €200 million redevelopment to be funded by VRSA council

MonteGordoPlanMonte Gordo is to change for ever. The tender for the eastern Algarve city’s redevelopment will be issued in November in a €200 million project that aims to propel the resort from a largely unplanned mixture of beach installations, hotels, camping facilities and bars into a wonder to behold, if the publicity can be believed.

The new plan will be tied together by a two kilometre long boardwalk with lighting, green spaces, shops and restaurants, but this is just the starting point for “dozens of interventions that will be carried out during 2017, including construction of a luxurious high-end properties and the creation of new leisure and restaurant facilities," according to Vila Real de Santo António mayor, Luís Gomes.

The new design complies in full with the Coastal Zone Management Plan (POOC) Vilamoura - Vila Real de Santo António and was released back in 2005.

The redevelopment of Monte Gordo is the largest such project ever undertaken on the Algarve's coast and will change the image and face of one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

The VRSA mayor claims that all the planning mistakes of the past will be eradicated in one swoop, commenting that, "All these measures aim to end all that was bad in our county, especially with regard to planning. For this reason, this unprecedented operation will invest in quality with a low urban density, enabling Monte Gordo to maintain the highest hotel occupancy rates in the Algarve."

Part of the plan is to build a new up-market hotel in front of the beach with views over the Monte Gordo bay.

The camp site will be decommissioned and a number of tourist properties will be built with an end value of €120 million. To the east of the city there will be a new tourist complex valued at €50 million.

Vila Real de Santo António council says it will be responsible for the work and will bear the financial burden of the project, its supervision and the coordination of the work. It has yet to be explained how the council will access this enormous sum, or what the maximum exposure for VRSA ratepayers will be.

To the south of Monte Gordo is the Lagostim oil exploration block, controlled by the Repsol-Patex consortium, where a huge gas reserve is known to exist. Whether hydrocarbon exploration and extraction will impact on the new Monte Gordo remains to be seen but it certainly will not help the city's tourist appeal if infrastructure or gas flares can be seen from the land.

 

 

 

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Comments  

0 #10 André de Roode 2017-12-03 16:09
:oops: Improving the beach, OK agreed, removing the cosy (simple) fisherman restaurants, not so good idea. They have to invest in new expensive proporties. The have to charge much more for the meals and drinks, people will stay away and the get broke! What about taking care of the Enstrada EN125 so you can drive with a normal car to Monte Gordo without having to replace the shock absorbers every year because of the extremely bad road condition! Be aware if Monte Gordo is getting to mondain the Dutch winter visitors will stay out!!
+1 #9 Pat martin 2017-10-05 10:31
Have just returned from monte gordo and the boardwalk is actually quite nice especially at night as it is lit up. The proposed mega hotel for the front is not taking place now. The beach bars are all coming down as if 15 October but being replaced with new bars which will be accessible from the boardwalk. On the plans it actually looks nice. But, the boardwalk is warping already because it has not been treated so will see how long it lasts, watch this space
+1 #8 Pat martin 2017-08-03 22:11
Seen a lot of changes in monte gordo,over past 30 years.. Demolished a lot of original properties etc. It is going to lose its unique identity of a fishing village if this happens. What about the beach bars, the boats etc will they all be moved to make wAy. I agree that buildings no longer in use should demolished but I think overdoing it. My holidays in monte gordo will come to an end if this is what happens but unfortunately you cannot stop progress but would love to hear what the locals have to say.
0 #7 H Ashton 2017-06-24 14:24
Just returned from Monte Gordo..The boardwalk looks an eyesore at the moment and the view from my favourite beach bar (Vasco da Gama) has been spoiled for ever.Please, Please, don't make it too commercialused. It will lose its charm.
-6 #6 Margaridaana 2016-10-29 13:20
Quoting Margaridaana:
Margaridaana
Monte Gordo was one of my first loves in the Algarve, over 30 years ago, and it hasn't lost it's charm for me. Please, do not spoil it, people like it the way it is. On a different tack, it really is at the end of the line, nowhere else to go, so another Vilamoura or Albufeira it certainly won't be. Please, do not ruin the eastern Algarve, it has so much more than the over developed centre and west. And, :lol: keep those oil rigs away!

Sorry about the emoji everyone, must have been a typo!
-3 #5 Neddy 2016-10-29 12:47
Quoting Talullah:
What a disaster for Monte Gordo!!

They call it progress, just like the pending destruction of Olhao
-2 #4 Talullah 2016-10-29 12:01
What a disaster for Monte Gordo!!
-2 #3 Margaridaana 2016-10-28 16:41
Margaridaana
Monte Gordo was one of my first loves in the Algarve, over 30 years ago, and it hasn't lost it's charm for me. Please, do not spoil it, people like it the way it is. On a different tack, it really is at the end of the line, nowhere else to go, so another Vilamoura or Albufeira it certainly won't be. Please, do not ruin the eastern Algarve, it has so much more than the over developed centre and west. And, :lol: keep those oil rigs away!
+1 #2 Virjini 2016-10-28 12:00
Hear, hear, Peter Booker!
This will wreck the already loved Monte Gordo and destroy its ambience.
Take back your millions and go away, Mr Mayor!
+3 #1 Peter Booker 2016-10-28 09:27
How sad. One of the charms of Portugal is just the unplanned development, the restaurants on the beach, along with the cheapness that they offer.

We shall get a new Vilamoura, and I for one will lose interest in that particular beach at Monte Gordo.

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