Top 10 Lakes around Alcácer Do Sal (Santiago)

The Pego do Altar Dam is located a few kilometres from Alcácer do Sal and was built in 1949 to supply the agricultural area of the Sado River valley and to produce electricity. Today it is very popular with foreigners in their motorhomes and with sports fishing enthusiasts. It is a magical place due to its landscapes, its capacity for leisure activities and its importance in irrigating the fields, where the main irrigated crop is rice. Not far from the Pego do Altar Dam, the village of Santa Susana has a curious feature: some buildings with modernist architecture from the 1940s, which are due to a benefactor of the region, Henrique Louro Fernandes, whose monogram (HF) can be found on some of them. A small church, with two 16th-century panels inside, somewhat deteriorated but magnificent, completes the interesting visit to this place. Recently, the drought that hit this area “uncovered” an old 200-year-old bridge that was submerged by the waters of the dam.

The Pego do Altar Dam is located a few kilometres from Alcácer do Sal and was built in 1949 to supply the agricultural area of the Sado River valley and to produce electricity. Today it is very popular with foreigners in their motorhomes and with sports fishing enthusiasts. It is a magical place due to its landscapes, its capacity for leisure activities and its importance in irrigating the fields, where the main irrigated crop is rice. Not far from the Pego do Altar Dam, the village of Santa Susana has a curious feature: some buildings with modernist architecture from the 1940s, which are due to a benefactor of the region, Henrique Louro Fernandes, whose monogram (HF) can be found on some of them. A small church, with two 16th-century panels inside, somewhat deteriorated but magnificent, completes the interesting visit to this place. Recently, the drought that hit this area “uncovered” an old 200-year-old bridge that was submerged by the waters of the dam.

The first thing that strikes you is the silence. Timeless silence. Then you are hit by the boundless horizons- a wealth of green that seems to go on forever. Fields ripe for harvest. The grey hues of the hills and the olive trees. And always, infusing the verdant landscape, is the timeless silence. Silence broken only by a distant pealing bell as a sheep delights in the hillside beyond the lake. Or by the joyous song of a sparrow, soaring above the trees in the afternoon sun. Here, you feel reconciled with life. You feel you can forget everything that has passed and begin anew. You are at peace - that in life things happen exactly as they are meant to. It is this feeling of perfect communion with nature which will remain with you forever. Vale do Gaio Hotel. Only the name of a bird is sufficient to encapsulate this natural harmony. The hotel is your nest. From the time you open the doors, you'll feel wrapped in peace and comfort. You can sit on our terrace over the lake, enjoying the stillness of a slow sunset. Storks fishing on the side of the water. Birds settling into their nests for the evening. A gaio flying high in the clouds, searching for the perfect perch. And you, settling into your own gaio's nest - the Vale do Gaio Hotel - lost to the world around you. As the sun sets you hear again the far off jingles of a sheep, like a sound transported through from an ancient time and place. Before long, lights begin to twinkle on in the village of Torrao and the peace of evening envelops the horizon.

A dam located in the Xarama river (Sado's River Basin) right in the planes of the Alentejo region. Fishing and swimming are allowed. Motor boats and surfing are allowed with some restrictions.

With a watershed that extends over 509 square kilometres, the Engenheiro Trigo de Morais Dam, better known as the "Vale do Gaio Dam", began operating in 1949. Located near Torrão, on the watercourse of the Xarrama River, the construction was selected by the Order of Engineers to be included in the book “100 Civil Engineering Works in the 20th Century”, which aims to present to society works that have contributed to the development of Portugal and to reinforce the role of Portuguese Engineering in the world. Surrounded by beautiful green areas, the Vale do Gaio dam is an ideal place for sports and water activities (walking, fishing, canoeing, etc.), for a simple walk in the open air or to enjoy a few days of rest in the guesthouse located there. Source: C.M. Alcáçer do Sal

The first impression is silence. An immense silence. Then, the horizons as far as the eye can see. The green of the crops. The ploughed or fallow fields. The grey patches of olive groves and montado. And, above this absolute and indescribable harmony, silence. Always. Only occasionally can the bells of a flock be heard in the distance, on the other side of the dam; or a lark streaks across the warm March afternoon, soaring into the air, crazy with freedom. Here, we feel that it is still possible to reconcile ourselves with life. To forget everything and start over. To believe that things happen in their natural order. This wise and just balance with nature is the most lasting impression we carry in our memory. The Vale do Gaio Hotel. Only a bird's name would be bearable in this harmony. The house is its nest. It is this domestic comfort that we feel as soon as we open its doors. At the end of the afternoon, on the terrace overlooking the dam, we watch the sun set gently. Storks fishing along the banks. Birds looking for nests to spend the night. Perhaps a jay wanders around in the night, looking for a place to roost. And we are in the jay's nest, or rather, in the Vale do Gaio Hotel, forgotten by the world. Again the soft bleating of the rattles. It seems like a very old sound that reminds us of Jano, a shepherd from Torrão, brought to us by the pen of Bernardim Ribeiro. In the distance, the lights of the town of Torrão come on.

The Vale de Gaio Dam (formerly Trigo de Morais) is a small paradise for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts in general. On its banks, you can find the peace and quiet that characterizes the Alentejo as an excellent eco-tourism destination. Fishing, canoeing, birdwatching or simply walking are obvious and viable options for those who visit us. There is also a guesthouse and picnic areas. Nearby, many rural tourism establishments await your visit. Although it is located in the District of Setubal, Municipality of Alcácer do Sal and Parish of Torrão, this is a gateway to the Central Alentejo, allowing you to easily reach the small whitewashed towns and villages and the golden plains of our Alentejo.