An American who wants to dedicate him to tourism

For years Castro Saltoa town in the municipality of Fonfría, west of Zamora, stood out above all for two reasons: its idyllic Natural environmentin full reserve of the Iberian plateau biosphereand above all his link with the neighbor of Castro. In fact the village It was created to welcome employees who work in the hydroelectric installation and was injured in death In the late 80s when he was automated and his presence there ceased to be indispensable.

Now Salto de Castro is famous for something else: it has become one of the great symbols of The emptied Spain. After a complex recent story, marked by abandonment and its Departure and reentry In the real estate market, an entrepreneur claims to have bought it to dedicate it to tourism. The most curious thing is that the businessman is from the US, he barely speaks Spanish and never had Europe before.

In a place of the line … Salto de Castro is part of the municipality of Fonfría, Zamora province, but is closer to Portugal than from the Zamora capital. Located next to the line this small town formed by 44 homeslodge, bar, pool, church, sports facilities and a barracks was driven In the mid -twentieth century by Iberduero To welcome the workers (and families) who worked in the Castro dam, located right next to each other.

From Iberduero to Idealista. In 40 Salto de Castro welcomed the workers who raised the dam and during the following decades it worked as a hydroelectric town, just like others many distributed For Spain. TO late 80s That changed. His employees and the Civil Guard post were relocated and the town was touched, converted into A ghost town that attracted curious … and occasionally to some businessman who dreamed of taking advantage of his idyllic environment to turn him into A tourist complex.

For a time the town was owned by a Galician society. Then, in 2022, He went to hands of the person responsible for a construction company of Toledo for 300,000 euros. Neither with one nor with the other came to take off. Shortly after idealist announced that the town was on sale for 580,000. Although then I know slid that there were interested buyers from Saudi and Miami, in the end Everything points that its owner has not left the Middle East or Florida, but from the west coast of the US.

“I knew it was my future”. The last name to sneak into the history of Villa is that of Jason Lee Beckwitha Californian with a profile quite different from that of the previous owners of the town: Jason is from the US, he spent a large part of his professional life in a printing press, a business of Bed & Breakfast In your country and at least until recently He barely spoke Spanish nor had Europe stepped on. Neither one thing nor the other threw back in his last project: to become the owner of Salto de Castro.

The reason? One day, while looking for options to continue with his hospitality vocation on the other side of the Atlantic, he learned that there was a town for sale right on the border between Spain and Portugal. “It was as if a switch was lit on my head”, He reported Recently to the EFE agency. His wife, Brazilian, did not seem too excited about the idea, but Jason had just decided when visiting the town in person. “I knew that this was my future,” he says.

From plans to euros. Throughout the last months the name of Jason and his sudden love for Salto de Castro has starred news in means from all over the country, regional, state And even foreigners. In them the Californian has been renovating his plans for the town and has also given brushstrokes of something equally crucial: the economic part.

In January Jason He confirmed the mayor of Fonfría that he had already made a first payment to “acquire the town to the former owners.” This same week, in one of his Last interviewsgranted to Efe, went further and slid that he would have already bought the town by about 310,000 euros. Of course, recovering the old buildings and carrying out the project you have in mind will cost you much more. Jason estimates that the total investment could stem the five million of euros. There is talk about eight million To restore the entire area.

A project, a Crowdfunding. For now there is already active A campaign of microenazgo to his name in Gofundme with an ambitious objective: to raise $ 300,000. “With this first collection of funds it is intended to complete the acquisition of the village and the land that surround it, hire a specialist in subsidies and aid, complete the studies on the main systems of the village, prepare a precise general budget/calendar and start working in the church,” Point out The campaign.

At the moment he has managed to gather 500 dollars with half a dozen contributions, even far from the 300,000 marked as a goal in Gofundme, where other sources of income are needed that consider their drivers to continue with the project, including subsidies and subsidies. A few days ago Jason Lee explained to The newspaper which is about to “complete the paperwork” to complete the transfer of the town, which could be closed “even several months earlier.”

And what is in mind? Basically return to life Saltro, orienting it to tourism Without ruling out The possibility of rentals for long stays. In An interview granted in February Zamora’s opinionJason explained that he had in mind to offer different types of accommodation: “luxury villas”, “Boutique Apartments” and “A shelter with several bedrooms” for travelers with more tight budgets.

Another market in which it aspires to fishing is that of the Digital nomads. “My goal is to open a hotel, shelter and there will also be short and long -term apartment rentals for those who want to change the life of the city for a back of peace.”

And the deadlines? In terms of deadlines, during his first year Californian He wants to focus In basic supplies and infrastructure, such as electricity, drinking water supply or residue.

Another of its priorities will be to rebuild the old temple and focus on phases on the different buildings of the former hydroelectric population. “In a first phase it will include some of the houses, apartments, the cafeteria and the recreation area,” duck The Californian. His idea is that the first facilities open before 2027.

Images | Wikipedia and GOFUNDME

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