Most visitors to central Portugal see the Zêzere only from a distance — a glimmer of blue between the hills as they drive through. That’s a shame. Because the Zêzere, winding south from the Serra da Estrela mountains for 242 kilometres before meeting the Tagus at Constância, is one of the most beautiful inland waterways in the country.
Near Tomar, the river slows and spreads — warm in summer, clear and calm, lined with hills covered in pine and olive. It is the kind of river that invites you to stop. To take your shoes off. To rent a boat.
On the water — Zêzere Barcos
The best way to experience the Zêzere near Tomar is from the water itself. Zêzere Barcos offers self-guided boat hire — no experience needed — for half days, full days and weekends. Drift downstream, moor on a river beach, swim from the boat and drift back at your own pace. It is genuinely one of the most relaxed and rewarding things you can do in the region.
