A tiny island on the Minho River between Portugal and Spain has been earmarked as the location of a new theme park. Boega Island, formerly a farming settlement, has been unoccupied for years and is described in various reports as “abandoned”.
In the coming years though, its 50 hectares are set to become home to “Porto Boega”, a theme park that, according to renderings released by developers, will feature rides and rollercoasters, shops and restaurants, and be based on a series of characters from cultures around the world.
The project is a joint venture from BlueCrow Capital, Obvious Gravity and Storyland Studios. BlueCrow is a Lisbon-based venture capital and private equity firm with interests ranging from robotics to AI, and from sustainable food production to tech innovation. Obvious Gravity is an independent games developer specialising in gaming with a retro feel and Storyland is an experience design consultancy for branding and storytelling in a 3D environment.
Representing local culture and identity?
While few details about the theme park or its characters are currently available, in a press statement, Storyland has said they “believe that Porto Boega will not only put Portugal on the map as one of the stages of the entertainment world, but will also put our culture and identity in a way no one has ever seen before.”
That showcasing of Portuguese culture and identity could include making the most of the mythical characters the Minho River already calls its own. Feiticeiras or “witches” are said to live in its waters, as are xacios or mythical mermaids and amphibious fishmen. However, the initial images from Storyland show an old-fashioned galleon hovered over by a zeppelin-style balloon containing a clockwork device. They are inspired by what Storyland has called a “steampunk-y” vibe.
Ecological concerns
The island the development will be located on has been described by Storyland as “a special place” that “breathes potential” with a “strategic location”. It is situated near the Minho River’s mouth, just over an hour’s drive from Porto’s international airport and under 50 minutes from Vigo airport in Galicia.
The Minho (or Miño in Spanish) is Galicia’s longest river. The waterway feeds vineyards, farmland and hydroelectric installations. Its upper course has been declared a Biosphere Reserve.
Ecological concerns were a key part of Storyland’s brief, the firm says, and they will no doubt be an ongoing part of the conversation as the development moves forward. Some will question whether what BlueCrow’s Rodrigo Passarinho Gonçalves Silva describes as “an island in the middle of a river, surrounded by nature” is really the best place for the project.
“It needs some form of intervention”
But Storyland’s senior project manager, Adam Booth, disagrees. “The island has kind of been left, but it’s important to the river. It needs some form of intervention and management. So, occupying the land is key to its longevity. So that’s the first piece – we need to do something with it,” he insists in an interview with BlooLoop. “What better place in the world to create something magical, powerful, and transcending?”
