A word from the M.D.
Hans Luyckx
'Our aim with Nazaré Canyon is to create a development that benefits everyone that has a stake in it. We are building a place that contributes to the community of Nazaré, to the life and wellbeing of its tenants, and to the health of our investors’ portfolios. We have made sure nobody loses out. Everyone, in some way, will be better off because of Nazaré Canyon
With a background in development projects that leave a lasting contribution to society, Luyckx has worked on residential projects in Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and his home country, the Netherlands. His global experience encompasses every facet of a property’s story and has given him the versatility to act within different cultures and across changing laws, customs and requirements.
For Luyckx the Silver Coast is a place where mind and heart come together. Its location, spirit and ambition align with a body of initiatives through which aims to inspire positive and lasting change in the world.
Hans Luyckx
'I myself know this mindset. Our connections with local surf instructors are a highlight at the development, and I intend to make full use of them!'
What makes Nazaré Canyon different from other holiday homes?
It’s important for a person to realise their dream but in the end if they don't use it too often it doesn’t make sense, financially, environmentally – and it can be a lot of hassle. It’s ridiculous, to be very honest. I’ve seen it happen to often and I thought to myself, no, I don't want to contribute to that model.
I see the necessity of people to have a property overseas. There is a demand, but let's do this in a different way. We changed the occupation of being a residential project to a touristic project. You have the ownership of the property and can use it on your terms, but the majority of the time it will be rented out and managed by one company. It gives all the benefits of an apartment, but none of the hassle or risk, plus you’ll have a much smaller carbon footprint as a result.
What has been your personal experience of living in Portugal?
I lived in Portugal for seven years with my family, and we all made friends for life here. Despite a reputation for being very private, people here are so welcoming and supportive – not only to us but also as a society. It's amazing, to be very honest. It's really been inspiring.
What makes the surf and the associated lifestyle so enduringly appealing? If you look at the international market for health and wellbeing, it’s clear that people everywhere are all searching for the same things: purpose, balance – to feel really alive and energised. Surfing is one of the most literal answers to this quest: just step on a board and you find balance. You don't need more, you are in the moment, you are present with nature. You have to be because otherwise you fall off. There are many beautiful aspects that are unique to surfing that you don't find in order activities. There is no hierarchy in the water – kids master it much faster than adults and often the kid becomes a teacher to the parents. There are no boundaries between different culture, age groups, skin colours, beliefs, whatever, everybody's the same in the surf, everything else falls away. I think this is something the harmonious part of being just a human race, not talking about the differences that we have, because basically, we're not different at all.
Tell us about some of your other initiatives
We have a surf school at Nazare Canyon and we were getting asked a lot about making clothing. We saw an opportunity for clothing to be a platform for communication – so we have launched our own brand, Impact Inclusive, making really good quality, sustainable clothing with fair production. It’s all produced in Portugal, and the idea is to spark and spread positive waves of inspiration and eco-activism through the messaging. With the profits we will be funding new research into developing new sustainable fabrics, for example using algae.