A major new theme park could open in Portugal in a bid to attract more visitors to the region.
The £10 million São João da Mata adventure park has been proposed by the local authorities of Castanheira de Pera, in the centre of the country.
The region is already known for being home to Portugal’s largest wave pool, Praia das Rocas, plus its mountainous nature trails.
The park would be built on 45 hectares and include a zipline, a treetop adventure course and an alpine coaster.
Other attractions, such as rock climbing, free-jumping trampolines and a go-kart circuit for younger children, would also be featured.
A 1,000-metre-long cable car has also been proposed to connect the town to the park, providing a means of access and a view of the surrounding forest.
The cable car will also give visitors direct access to the wave pool. Alongside the huge wave machine, Praia de Rocas offers canoeing, paddleboarding, paddle surfing and cable wakeboarding, meaning that visitors to the town will have access to water activities in addition to the attractions in the theme park.
The Mayor of Castanheira de Pera, António Henriques, said the new theme park would be “based on pillars of environmental, economic and social sustainability, and is expected to generate a broad positive impact on the central region, through the creation of direct and indirect jobs, and the revitalisation of the hotel, restaurant and local commerce sectors."
The authorities hope that the theme park would have the potential to establish Castanheira de Pera as an even more competitive tourist destination by providing more things to do in the central region. A date for its opening, however, has not yet been announced.
The Independent has contacted the municipality of Castanheira de Pera for comment.
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