The idea is to make known the beauties of the Arade River with the least possible impact on nature, while providing a more pleasant experience for those on board. The company Algarve Sun Boat Trips bet on the acquisition of solar boats, made by the Algarve company Sun Concept, an investment that will continue in the future and could reach 1,3 million euros.
At this stage, it is already possible to go up or down the Arade in a boat that uses exclusively the energy of the sun to move, in silence and without “a cloud of exhaust gases” behind. The trips depart from the Marina of Portimão or Silves, with customers having the choice of several options: “Boca do Rio”, “Pôr do Sol” and “Rio Up or Down”, «always with a refreshing drink and aperitif board'.
«The company is the first to embark from Silves and to carry out the routes up and down the river separately. In addition, there is also the possibility of carrying out personalized and private tours, excellent for birdwatching or events”, according to Algarve Sun Boat Trips.
According to Pedro Mestre, the company's administrator, after the initial investment, thinking is already beginning about «expansion and diversification of the fleet». «We have an exclusivity agreement for these boats on the Arade River and very soon we will have more solar boats in other parts of the Algarve. We foresee a total investment of 1,3 million euros, with around 500 thousand euros in the space of a year, and create more than 10 new jobs», he revealed.
More than contributing to the economy, Sun Boat Trips makes this investment with the environment in mind. “An ordinary boat consumes at least 50 liters of gasoline every 100 kilometers. After a year, our solar boat saves the environment from emitting 30 tonnes of CO2, something like 17 million liters of carbon dioxide. And this is just a boat for 12 people», he illustrated.
The company offers prices from 15 euros per adult and 7,5 euros for children aged 3 to 10 years, with reservations to be made online, on the Algarve Sun Boat Trips website, where you can also find more information about the services provided.
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