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The man who bought a village: a Californian rescues Salto de Castro, the forgotten village in Zamora, for €310,000
On a bend in the Duero, where the border with Portugal merges with the horizon, a village had been asleep for almost four decades. Salto de Castro, built in 1946 by Iberduero for dam workers and abandoned since the 1980s, seemed condemned to oblivion… until Jason Lee Beckwith appeared, a Californian who has decided to bring it back to life.
For 310,000 euros, what in his home country would barely buy a modest flat, Beckwith acquired 44 houses, a church, a school, a bar and an old barracks. But his dream has nothing to do with luxury tourism or replicating the glamour of the west coast. ‘I don’t want an Iberian California,’ he has said. ‘I want to preserve what already exists and let it breathe again.’
A tireless traveller, Beckwith travelled across Europe seeking a place with soul and found it among the ivy-covered ruins of this small enclave in Zamora. There he plans to build a community and sustainable space, with rural accommodation, a restaurant, swimming pool and visitor centre, without losing the village’s original character. The total investment, which could reach between four and seven million dollars, will be financed with private funds, public aid and international partners.
More than a business, the project aims to create jobs, attract responsible tourism and bring life back to the rural setting. Its philosophy connects with the movement seeking to reverse depopulation in so-called ‘empty Spain’. ‘It will be a place for everyone, not only for those who can afford it,’ insists the new owner.
Not everyone shares his enthusiasm. Environmentalists have warned of the project’s possible environmental impact, since Salto de Castro is within Parque Natural de los Arribes del Duero, a territory protected by UNESCO and Red Natura 2000.
Even so, Beckwith is not intimidated. In the rubble he sees opportunity; in silence, promise. ‘Every stone tells a story,’ he says. And perhaps, with him, Salto de Castro will again have voice, light and warm bread in its streets.