Ilha dos Puxadoiros, in the Ria de Aveiro, is back on the market in an online auction, this time with a starting price of €690,000, €60,000 less than the asking price at the first auction.
The property was first put up for online auction in September, with a starting price of €750,000, but received only one bid of €615,000, which was rejected by the sellers.
“Nobody offered the asking price, so we decided to review the price and put the property back on the market,” Vergílio Rocha, one of the owners, told Lusa.
Covering around 37 hectares in the heart of the Ria de Aveiro, Ilha dos Puxadoiros includes eight salt pans. It was acquired several years ago by a group of investors who developed new business activities, including oyster production, in an investment exceeding €1 million that received more than €500,000 in EU funding.
“Initially, we continued producing salt, which was still being made there at the time. Then we discovered that the island was extremely rich in samphire, and we managed to produce and sell tonnes of it. However, from the outset, oysters seemed to us to be the most suitable product for increasing the island’s value without damaging the environment,” Vergílio Rocha said.
Only four of the original partners remain, all living in Lisbon. They have decided to sell the island because they believe the business is no longer viable.
“This is a business that requires a presence on site. We tried to establish a local management base and made several attempts, but for various reasons they all failed. We had no other option but to sell the island,” Vergílio Rocha explained.
The retired engineer, who studied in Aveiro, has no doubts about the site's qualities, describing it as “a fabulous place in every respect” and “a very valuable asset”.
According to the auction house managing the online sale, the property “offers considerable potential for activities related to aquaculture, shellfish production, nature tourism, gastronomic experiences, exclusive events and sustainable projects”.
The property comprises several salt pans and rural plots, including areas designated for semi-intensive fish farming, aquaculture operations and the sustainable use of the natural resources of the Ria de Aveiro. It also includes aquaculture activity licences associated with establishments 1229 Pinta and 1939 Canal do Peixe.
The estate includes support buildings, namely Casa da Ilha, two traditional haylofts and Casa da Pinta, which supports the fish-farming activities. Various operational equipment and infrastructure are also included, such as a motorboat, oyster-growing beds, mesh bags, a landing quay providing access to the island, a cargo-handling crane, a wooden walkway, a tractor with trailer and a levelling blade.
The auction is open to the public and runs until 18 November, with bids starting at €450,000.