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Associação Protectora Amigos do Maçãs

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The Associação Protectora AMIGOS DO MAÇAS (APAM - Maçãs river Friends and Protectors Organization, roughly translated), first appeared in 1990, as a branch of the 
Grupo Recreativo e Cultural de Quintanilha (Quintanilha Recrational and Cultural Group).

The latter group was founded circa. 1974 and organized cultural activities as well as recreational, environmental and sports in the region. 
The Maçãs river flows 500 meters away from the Quintanilha Village. Its clear waters and marvellous leisure sites incentivised a group of natives from Quintanilha to form de aforementioned Organization as means for raising awareness for the river. This was with the aim to maintain the excellent conditions of the riverside so that they would not disappear in total from the area. 

The increase of abusive and destructive fishing practices, rapid disappearance of the Ulmus trees and other harmful activity, contributed to the creation of the APAM. In July 1993, the APAM group was formed through a notarial writing. It currently has 300 members who actively pay quota. Since then the APAM has developed: activities for dam recovery; cultural and sports programmes; recovery of local mills; environmental programmes; social gatherings with the folk from riverside villages (Spain and Portugal); etc.

The source of the Maçãs river is located in the Sierra de la Culebra, in the provence of Zamora (Spain), upstream from Manzanas Village. It borders Portugal and Spain from the Manzanas and Nuez de Aliste Villages, to Petisqueira until Outeiro and Pinelo Villages (these last three in Portugal). The river crosses the following portuguese villages: Petisqueira, Deilão, S Julião, Quintanilha, Paradinha, Outeiro, Pinelo, Argozelo, Carção, Campo de Víboras, Santulhão, Algoso and Junqueira; crossing the following spanish villages: Manzanas, Nuez de Aliste, S Martinho del Pedroso, Latedo.
The Maçãs River is a tributary of Sabor River. 

Planned Activities for 2020:

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  • Planting trees for the maintenance of the cultural, historical and environmental heritage;

  • Cleaning and maintenance of Colado picnic park;

  • Poplar chopping;

  • Repairing the Organization's equipment, including recreative boats;

  • Maintenance of the Pilgrim's Inn, its dormitories, cooking space and other rooms; 

  • Raising youth awareness for environmental, cultural and recreative issues; 

  • Forming partnerships with other organizations; 

  • Requesting the City Council to support our incentives/actions which will in turn help revitalize our Parish communities; 

  • Implementation of youth programmes through IPDJ (more info in "Activities" page);

  • Requesting IEFP's (Portuguese Employment Institute) to support available programmes; 

  • Other activities within the Organization's goals and that contribute to the communities' development.

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