In the middle of Lagoa Serra da Estrela in Serra da Estrela National Park in central Portugal, there is another small lake. The funnel-shaped lake attracts the curiosity of tourists because of its strange appearance, like a "gate" that can suck everything around it.
The “funnel mouth” in the middle of Laca Serra da Estrela Lake is like a beautiful picture decorated with moss and clear water. Both sides of the lake are covered with green vegetation, large rocks and a clear sky. However, when looking down from above, this “funnel mouth” gives a “creepy” feeling because the water flows continuously and strongly without overflowing.
"Bottomless" lake in winter.
In fact, this is not a “gateway to the underworld” created by Mother Nature like in the imagination of tourists. Covao dos Conchos is a man-made structure, a “funnel” leading to another reservoir, built by local engineers in 1955.
Covao dos Conchos is part of the hydroelectric dam system in Serra da Estrela, which diverts water from the Naves River to Lagoa Comprida. In 1955, local engineers were building a hydroelectric dam system in Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain range in Portugal, and they needed to divert water from a nearby river to a main reservoir. So they created a 1,500m long tunnel from the river called Lagoa da Serra da Estrela, and built the Covao dos Conchos water intake, to divert water to Lagoa Comprida where the dam was built.
The “funnel mouth” is surrounded by green moss and grass. They thrive in the humid environment. That has turned Covao dos Conchos from a gray “funnel mouth” into a masterpiece of rare natural beauty.
Serra da Estrela National Park is home to wild animals such as wolves, eagles, bison, Estrela mountain dogs, etc. This place is also home to plants such as sage roses, junipers, bluebells and oak trees. Not only is this place blessed with ideal vegetation, Serra de Estrela is also the only place in Portugal where visitors can learn to ski.
Tourists can stop by the nearest town, Seia, to stay overnight and eat, explore nature, especially Covao dos Conchos. From Seia to Lagoa Comprida is only 30 minutes by car and from there visitors can walk to Covao dos Conchos, 4.8 km away. In addition, there is also another small town near Covao dos Conchos, Covilha. This town is also an interesting stop for tourists who want to relax.
Plants grow around the mouth of the lake.
If you are hiking the 3 miles from Lagoa Comprida to Covao dos Conchos, be sure to bring plenty of water, wear comfortable running shoes, and dress appropriately for the mountain climate, as temperatures can drop dramatically, even in summer. Visiting Serra da Estrela in the fall or winter may be harsher, but the snow-covered landscape of the frozen “bottomless” waterhole is also much more beautiful.
Although Covao dos Conchos was built decades ago, it only became famous in 2016 when photos and videos of this bell-mouth dam were recorded by drones and went viral. Since then, people have become curious and compared it with names such as “road to hell”, “gateway to the underworld” in the middle of the desolate highlands.
