Castelo de Bode by boat, the Zêzere lake twenty minutes from Tomar.

An hour or an afternoon on the water, after the convent: the other face of Tomar, of pines, stone coves and still water.

What it is

The Castelo de Bode reservoir is the great lake formed by the dam of the same name on the Zêzere river, about twenty minutes by car from Tomar. The shores are hills of pine and eucalyptus with small river beaches and villages on the heights. In summer it is where people from Tomar go to swim and sail.

The trip

Barcaça Atividades Náuticas, a Tomar company registered as a tourist entertainment agent, runs skippered boat trips on the reservoir. They last an hour at minimum and take up to 13 passengers, so they work well for a big family or a group of friends. The length and route are agreed beforehand. The website does not publish rates: the price is requested by phone or email, and the Tomar tourist office gives a range of €35 to €350 depending on what you book.

If you are after something livelier, the same company has wakeboarding, wakesurfing, wakefoiling, water skiing and tubing, with 15-minute introductory lessons per person and all equipment included. And if you hold a boating licence, it hires out motor boats for eight people and jangadas, floating platforms for fourteen, for half a day or a full day.

When to go

The company works all year, but the reservoir looks best from May to September, when you want to swim from the boat. In July and August it is hot inland and the water is the best plan for the afternoon. Book a few days ahead in summer and at weekends.

Getting there

You need a car. From Tomar, about twenty minutes towards the Castelo de Bode dam. Confirm the exact boarding point when you book: the company has its base on Estrada Barrinho, in the municipality of Tomar.