The government’s deputy delegate in Ourense, Eladio Santos, placed the public cova of the nucleus of Seadur (Larouco) as an example of the government’s strategy to “include residents and indigenous products in the tourist ecosystem.” The deputy delegate learned on Friday the result of one of the actions included in the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD) “Valdeorras, millenary wine route”, convened and financed by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism.
Eladio Santos visited the nucleus of Seadur, known for its wine tradition and, especially, for the unique set of wineries excavated on the ground, the famous covas. One of them, owned by the Association As Covas de Seadur, was ceded to the City of Larouco, which rehabilitated it for the use of citizenship, with an aid of 150,000 euros from the PSTD and wants to turn it into a center of interpretation of wine. This was transferred to the mayor of the municipality Patricia Lamela, and the member of the association Miguel Ángel Rodríguez.
The subdelegate explained that this action “meets the conditions to meet the objectives of the tourism strategy of the Government of Spain, focused on the triple sustainability model: economic, social and environmental”. “This is a commitment to a respectful and seasonal tourism that enjoys integration with life in rural areas and that puts value on our gastronomic products,” he said.
In this regard, Eladio Santos recalled that in 2020, when the Government of Spain decided to strengthen the commitment to tourism with local entities through the PSTDs, it sought to transform the tourism sector of the country, promoting a new more effective model. “This strategy can already be seen and enjoyed with projects as transformative as this one that neighbors and visitors will be able to enjoy next Saturday, April 4, on the route of the Cuevas de Seadur 2026,” said Eladio Santos, who thanked the City of Larouco and the GDR Valdeorras for their involvement.
In particular, the subdelegate explained that the PSTD of extraordinary call “Valdeorras, millenary wine route”, managed by the GDR Valdeorras Association, received 1.5 million euros of funding from Next Generation funds from the Secretary of State for Tourism. “This plan endowed with resources is being a revulsive for the region of Valdeorras, which diversified its tourism offer with optimal results,” he said.
Impulse to the covas
This action is not the only one to promote the traditional covas of Seadur by the Government of Spain. Therefore, the subdelegate approached the restaurant and winery A Cueva da Xabreira, which received an aid of 171,220 euros from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of the Government of Spain, endowed with European funds Next Generation. The grant is intended for the sustainable rehabilitation of the wineries and their surroundings, as well as a set of virtual experiences of the visit to the wineries.
Eladio Santos thanked the owner of the establishment, Simón Val, for his commitment to rural and tradition, since projects such as his are those that attract visitors to the small villas and villages of the province. “It is satisfying that the funds of this great commitment to sustainable tourism of the Government of Spain reach people with innovative projects that make our tradition known,” he said.