“I need to live near the water…”

I well understand this desire... This is why many people want a sea view, so good for the soul, but the prices being asked for coastal properties are rising steeply, even outside the Algarve, Costa Vicentina and Silver coast areas. Inland central Portugal is blessed with rivers and dams that create beautiful leisure areas such as on the Zézere river at the Cabril dam, near Pedrógão Pequeno (pictured). Here, there is boating, fishing, a supervised swimming area in the summer, many easily-accessible parking spots where you can stay for the day to relax and swim, snacking in one of the three cafes.

There’s history too as downstream from the dam there is a spectacular walk from Pedrógão Pequeno down an ancient cobbled Roman road to a bridge, rebuilt in stone in the early 1600s. Until the Cabril dam was completed in 1954, this road and bridge was the only link with Pedrógão Grande and beyond.

At Rural Properties we are renovating two substantial and historic town centre properties, either side of the river, each within two minutes drive of this view. One is late 1800s; the other dates back to the mid-1600s and both will be for sale this autumn, ask me for preview information.

The Zézere and Mondego rivers start and finish in Portugal so, unlike the Guadiana and Tejo, are not dependent on the demands of Spanish agriculture which drains millions of cubic metres of water for irrigation and habitually dumps effluent which ends up in Portugal. The water in these rivers is as clear and fresh as you will find anywhere in the country.

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