The Amadorio Reservoir – Spain - Atlas Obscura

The Amadorio Reservoir

This fascinating reservoir represented a dam in Afganistan in Guy Ritchie's movie, " The Covenant ". 

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This fascinating  place is one of those hidden gems that the normal tourist to the region regularly ignores, in favour of the fantastic beaches and coves of that part of the Costa Blanca. It holds the distinction  of being the closest water-supply  reservoir to the sea in Spain and it is only 4km from the sea front at the popular tourist town of Villajoyosa. It is fed by a river that hardly runs at all in the summer months and, as the reservoir  supplies water to both Villajoyosa and Benidom, the summer drawdown regularly exposes traces of the settlements that were flooded when the impoundment was inaugurated in 1957 (after a 10 year construction period for the dam and surrounding infrastructure). This includes buildings, roads and bridges.

Attractions of the reservoir, in addition to the transient exposure of historic settlements include both the general  attractiveness of the water body and the nomally tranquil local environment  and some fascinating wildlife.  This includes some very large fish and a healthy population of freshwater turtles, both of which can be easily observed  when looking over the dam wall. The fish look big even from the top of the dam  down to the lowest possible  level of water and the reservoir  is a popular fishing spot when full.

The 16km walking or cycling route around the reservoir includes two  tunnels on either side of the dam wall. At one time the tunnels and the road across the dam used to carry local motor traffic but the road has been closed to vehicles, other than bikes, for several years.

 One of the tunnels has ” portholes” overlooking the lake and the dam which provide an ideal spot to view the resident bird life.

Two interesting cylindrical structures  close to the dam are silos used to hold cement during the dam’s construction. A walk across the dam also brings you up close to the mechanism used to control the flow of water over the spillway  and, at the right time of year, to a magnificent  display from the nesting house martins.

Whilst summer drawdown is not uncommon in 2024 the dam and waterworks were undergoing extensive works, including works to deal with an infestation  of zebra mussels. The locals complain that the drawdown has removed their view of the beautiful body of water but the exposure of the historic and engineering  features are, to many, a good compensation. 

However, for fans of the movies,  the reservoir’s greatest claim to fame was that it was used  in 2022 for  filming a spectacular scene of Guy Richie’s film ” The Covenant”.

 

Know Before You Go

At the north end of the reservoir is a restaurant which does fantastic  sticky ribs but be warned that the massive portion served is really  to share rather than attempting the on your own.

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