Couto de Esteves/Ribeiradio Reservoir
The water plan was created on the River Vouga, upstream of the Couto de Esteves - Ribeiradio and Ermida dams, with the aim of controlling winter floods, producing electricity and supplying households and agriculture.
It is located in the middle Vouga, approximately 85 km from the source and around 12 km from the centre of Sever do Vouga, between the towns of Couto de Esteves (Sever do Vouga) and Ribeiradio (Oliveira de Frades).
It stretches for around 14 kilometres, through valleys of great beauty and scenic value.
The water is ideal for water sports such as canoeing or stand up paddle and for recreational fishing enthusiasts, making it a major tourist attraction in the region.
On the banks of the Couto de Esteves reservoir you can see many species of local flora, such as the pedunculate macedonia, the spring, among others; and fauna, native species that have easily adapted to the new habitat, such as the heron, the kingfisher and the otter. Other species emerged with the water mirror, such as the mallard, white-faced cormorant and certain species of the more common gulls. There are also some invasive species, such as carp and achigans.
It offers stunning scenery for true contemplation!
