Zêzere River
Top 6 in Top 10 Longest Rivers in Portugal
The Zêzere is a tributary of the Tagus River in Portugal. It rises near the Torre, the highest point in continental Portugal, in the Serra da Estrela. The Zêzere flows through Manteigas, Belmonte, Covilhã, and Pedrogão Grande, passing south of Covilhã and east of Pedrogão Grande. In Constância, it empties into the Tagus. It is Portugal's second-longest river wholly within its borders (the Mondego being the longest). Cabril, Bouçã, and Castelo de Bode hydroelectric power stations are located on its slope.
On the Zêzere, there are three dams starting at the headwaters:
- Cabril is a concrete double-curvature arch dam on the Zêzere River that separates the districts of Castelo Branco and Leiria. It is situated in the municipality of Sertã, in the district of Castelo Branco, Portugal.
- Bouçã is a concrete double-curvature arch dam on the Zêzere River, which separates the districts of Castelo Branco and Leiria. It lies in the municipality of Pedrógão Grande, in the district of Leiria, Portugal.
- Castelo de Bode is a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Zêzere River, a tributary of the Tagus River, in the Santarém District of Portugal, located southwest of Tomar and north of Constância. It is one of Portugal's tallest skyscrapers. Between 1945 and 1951, the dam was built. It also houses a 138-megawatt hydroelectric power plant that was built between 1951 and 1952.
Length: 214 km (133 mi)
