River beach of olhos d'água
The river beach of Olhos de Água is located in the district of Santarém, municipality of Alcanena, in the town of Olhos de Água. The Alviela River starts here, in the parish of Louriceira and this spring captured the water that supplied the city of Lisbon for over 100 years. Even today it is one of the largest freshwater reservoirs in the country.
This river beach is famous for the nature that surrounds it. In 2016, it underwent a requalification, becoming a very desirable space for pleasure and relaxation. It now has a children’s playground, dining tables and grills. Bathrooms, beachside restaurant and sand playing field are also available. The shaded green spaces are ideal for picnics or spreading out a towel and enjoying the vitamin D.
The Centro de Ciência Viva do Alviela, also called Carsoscopia, is an excellent activity that you can embark on, explaining the source of Olhos d’Água and the routes it took to reach the river beach. There are also caves that emerged due to the passage of water through the area. A maintenance circuit with running track and muscle strengthening zone is also now available. Close to the Ciência Viva Center you can also find the Alcanena Mountain Bike Center through which it is possible to make 5 different routes.
The source of the Alviela river gave Alcanena a beach with clean waters next to the Centro de Ciência Viva. The paths to Santiago de Compostela and Fátima also pass through it, so there are many tourists stopping in this space to enjoy the well-deserved rest. In fact, some regret the changes in the flow that reduced the depth of the river beach, but on the other hand it is one of the best places to bring children.
Regardless of the weather, it is possible to find the beach to be used by bathers or even people having a picnic. The space also has a Camping Park and a large parking lot. The authorities and security are also close by, but it should be noted that this is not a guarded beach, that is, there are no lifeguards.
Usually from June to September the beach is full. In winter it is not uncommon to see tourists enjoying the weekends.
The name “Olhos de Água” refers to the various points of departure from the source of the Alviela. According to the Centro de Ciência Viva do Alviela, “the Olhos de Água spring is one of the most important in our country, delivering 17,000 liters per second, that is, 1.5 million cubic meters of water per day.
For those who like adventure, the walking routes are well marked and are not very difficult. There are a lot of shadows and the space is kept clean.
With coastal beaches getting more and more crowded, more and more people choose to look for river beaches to enjoy the best of both worlds: the tranquility that nature provides, great moments of fun, adventure and relaxation with the family, as well as like the refreshing that the beach allows. Unlike many other river beaches, this one has stone floors, grass and sand.
In addition to all the activities that we have already listed, the Municipality of Alcanena also organizes various activities, including boat trips, canoeing, volleyball tournaments, among others.