Algarve 2030 allocates 3.4 million for the Musealization of Underwater Finds in Arade

The initiative is expected to start in the last quarter of 2025 and be completed by the end of 2027.

Named MUSA – Musealization of Archaeological Findings from the bottom of the Arade River, the project will be developed in co-promotion by the municipalities of Portimão and Lagoa, in partnership with Cultural Heritage, and with technical support from the National Center for Nautical and Underwater Archaeology (CNANS).

It also involves the Port Administration, the University of Algarve (UAlg) and the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR).

The MUSA project aims to research, preserve and display in museums the submerged finds identified in the bed of the Arade River (between Portimão and Lagoa), but also to create physical and virtual museum spaces, as well as to promote a visitable underwater reserve, which will allow the public to discover part of the submerged archaeological heritage on site.

The program includes archaeological and laboratory campaigns, restoration and conservation activities, an exhibition on the banks of the Arade River, the renovation of the Portimão Underwater Archaeology Center, the creation of a museum in Lagoa, and several scientific outreach activities.

According to the promoters, MUSA will be managed using a sustainable and collaborative model, involving diversified funding and strategic partnerships at local, regional, and national levels.

The Sustainability Commitment Declaration has already been signed by the entities involved, with scheduled activities and values ​​defined by partner.

This application to Algarve 2030 is part of the objectives of the New Compass of Culture proposed by the European Commission: a strategic framework to also take advantage of the multiple dimensions of Culture.

It also reinforces the Algarve's commitment to underwater cultural heritage as a strategic resource for the region's sustainable development.