Moinhos de Cadavais An exceptional wellness and leisure development opportunity at Alcoutim, in Portugal’s Algarve.

About this project

Moinhos de Cadavais (mills of the river Cadavais) is an exceptional opportunity to own, develop and operate an exclusive model wellness and leisure resort – in effect the take-over of a project already approved in principle – in a stunning waterside location just 1½ kms. Inland from the river Guadiana at Alcoutim.

The mainly hilly 52 ha estate has been owned since 2009 by Cadavais Investimentos Turisticos, Lda and its founder and managing director has spent the past 10 years developing his vision of a high quality, exclusive resort which will take full advantage of the tree-lined hillsides, the river Guadiana and the large reservoir.

The project has already been commended by regional development and tourism authorities and has the full support of the Alcoutim Camara, the planning authority.

Quite exceptional investment returns are forecast for a model wellness and leisure resort designed to meet tomorrow’s life-style needs – a resort whose luxury accommodation base, facilities, eco-friendly activities and carbon-neutral footprint will set new standards for similar resorts throughout Europe.

Why this location and site

Alcoutim lies in an idyllic position on the tidal river Guadiana which forms the border with Spain. Across the river from Alcoutim lies the Spanish town of Sanlucar de Guadiana. Both towns are steeped in history, both have castles, and mooring for ocean going yachts – a unique setting.

The choice of this location in the Algarve’s n/east corner was helped by an excellent road network giving easy access to the coast and into nearby Alentejo, with Faro and Seville international airports about 1 hour and 1 hour and 25 minutes away respectively.

Equally important is the combination of climate and natural features which together with the planned accommodation base, facilities and activities at Cadavais, will enable the completed resort to enjoy year-round, sustainable tourism – something which still eludes the Algarve’s coastal resorts.

The 52ha (128 acre) site has a small lake and is bordered by the smaller river Cadavais , by a large reservoir and by a recently re-surfaced, metalled road linking Alcoutim with the tiny hamlet of Corte t’Abelhao.

Two ruined windmills and two ruined watermills give the resort its name and, along with hundreds of young umbrella pines, add to a natural, unspoilt setting with some fine views.

In addition to its natural attributes the site also benefits from a number of man-made features including:-

80% of estate roads already in place (in unmade form)

Level sites available for wellness centre, hotel, spa, car parks and tennis courts

Villa offering temporary office/stores accommodation pending demolition as site for health spa

Ruined windmills – for renovation as important features

Water, electricity telephone ON SITE

Development restrictions

The Portuguese Government’s directive to the Regional Development Authority (CCDR) in 2006/2007 was to resist further development along the coast and to support luxury tourist development INLAND with a preference for those developments able to provide SUSTAINABLE YEAR – ROUND tourism.

Development has been further restricted by the requirement that would-be developers should be able to demonstrate that they have funds in place to carry out and complete the development for which they are seeking approval. The universal lack of funds available for tourist projects since the financial crisis in 2008 has meant that this project has been on hold since then awaiting an improvement in the economic climate.

New owners will take over the project as of now and will benefit from the extensive work to date, the project’s preliminary study, the Lisbon design team’s availability and the continuing support of the Alcoutim Camara, the planning authority. By taking over the project at this stage new owners will also benefit from considerable flexibility in final design.

From the signing of contracts the estimated time needed to the award of full approvals is 9-12 months. This whole process will be made jointly with the Alcoutim Camara.

Evolving plans

Since 2007, when the project’s preliminary study was agreed in principle, plans at Cadavais have gradually evolved to keep pace with ever increasing stressful and hectic lifestyle demands.

Now planned is a wellness and leisure development whose very name, Moinhos de Cadavais Retreat, suggests an opportunity for visitors to ‘escape’ stress and pressure in a place of peace and tranquillity, a place where time has seemingly stood still, a place to relax, reflect and ‘learn to be well’.

Facilities now proposed echo this change – a mark of the considerable flexibility always possible at Cadavais given the very low build density and the importance of the development to the region’s economic prosperity, not least to job creation locally.

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Key facilities will include a 1230m² Retreat wellness centre with restaurants, lounge, conference rooms, cinema, hotel, 100 luxury 2 and 3 bedroom lodges, a large health spa plus a possible recovery centre (those ‘healing’ elements), restored windmills and miles of Cadavais trails to walk or cycle along.

Everything will be designed to bring guests together, able to connect with themselves, each other and with nature under the Moinhos de Cadavais umbrella. Guests are expected to come from around the world and locally in a diversity of ages from the early 20s to late 70s and beyond.

Those environment-friendly activities

These will fully support and complement a commitment to holistic wellbeing at Cadavais whereby guests can stretch their minds as well as heal their bodies. The Retreat will offer an ideal environment, far from today’s pressures, where guests can immerse themselves in nature throughout their stay.

Activities will range from cycling and walking to fitness, yoga and meditation group sessions, plus lifestyle teaching. They will:-

make full use of those natural assets: the Guadiana, the rugged protected terrain and that excellent year-round climate.

Include teaching modules in such key wellness areas as diet, nutrition, weight loss, skin care, sleep loss, breathing, self confidence and loneliness with resident or visiting speakers.

Create an environment and opportunity for guests to feel a connection to themselves, to others and to nature.

Together with the Retreat’s facilities and luxury accommodation base form a wellness package of interest worldwide and suited to both long and short stay visits from Portugal and Spain – a very large home market with great potential.

Moinhos de Cadavais will be the destination for wellness education providing a lifestyle that combines regular exercise, a healthy diet and a positive mental approach.

A healthy mind and a healthy body

Towards year-round sustainable tourism

Portugal’s ideal year-round climate, Alcoutim’s idyllic unspoiled setting, the potential of the river Guadiana, excellent road communications and the Cadavais site itself have provided an exceptional platform on which to build an exclusive wellness Retreat.

Totally in step with today’s lifestyle needs, Moinhos de Cadavais will offer luxury facilities to support a rapidly growing demand for wellness tourism.

The exquisitively peaceful location, the natural landscaping, the full pedestrianisation and planned leisure facilities all lend strong support to this exciting development, designed specifically to achieve those YEAR ROUND targets.

Corporate wellness weeks throughout the year will help underpin this success, contribute fully to Alcoutim’s economic future and, yet further ahead perhaps, open a door to adding a medical clinic and/or recovery centre.

The investment opportunity

This leaflet began with a project overview with mention of a TAKE OVER – this is exactly where the project stands at this time. The equity in the Portuguese company owning the land along with the project, approved in principle, is now available for purchase, subject to full planning approval.

The present owners are prepared to be quite flexible with regard to the resulting sale package. The project’s ‘subject to full planning’ status gives the purchaser considerable final design options.

This sale flexibility could include the present owners retaining an equity share in the company and any Recovery Centre, if proceeded with, being separately owned. There are several options and it is those protected 128 acres of land which are now offered for sale. Wellness tourism is but one possibility for its development but deemed ideally suited.

As with plans for Cadavais, the whole wellness industry worldwide has been evolving with a global wellness economy, as defined by the Global Wellness Institute, now worth US$3.7 trillion; a spend twice that of the global pharmaceutical industry. At the forefront of this growth has been wellness tourism based increasingly on a holistic approach – the ability to offer those key wellness elements in one setting, a place with room to breathe, a place to relax and reflect with space to exercise naturally in lovely surroundings.

Wellness, the future at Alcoutim

Wellness represents an opportunity for both business and social development at the same time. For governments it can help reduce healthcare costs by promoting illness prevention and lifestyle education. For business it can increase employee creativity and productivity while for everyone it can mean living a longer and happier life.

The new millennium has introduced periods of change and uncertainty as technology has brought us closer together but in many ways has driven us further apart. Health and ageing factors have become more and more important and we all face increasing threats to our lifestyles in many guises such as stress, burnout, depression, anxiety and loneliness.

The Moinhos de Cadavais Retreat intends to tackle these lifestyle issues head on in a holistic environment – a place where guests can relax, reflect and ‘learn to be well’. Visitors will be offered the best kind of holiday; one that will send them home not only fully recharged, but with insights to ways to live life a little more fully and one day at a time.

Mooring at Alcoutim and opposite

Sanlucar de Guadiana beneath its

imposing castle