Odeleite River

Odeleite (also known as Ribeira de Odeleite) is a river located in the municipality of Castro Marim, Algarve, Portugal and a right tributary of the Guadiana. It originates in the mountains of the Serra do Caldeirão in Loulé and flows through the municipalities São Brás de Alportel, Tavira, Alcoutim and Castro Marim, where it reaches the Guadiana. The river shares its names with the village of Odeleite, in Castro Marim municipality, located just to the north of the Odeleite dam. The name Odeleite may have originated from the Arabic name "river of milk" (wdi al-laban). According to historical accounts, during the period of Islamic rule, the river was known as "Leite" and had a higher water volume compared to present times. Since 2010, the river has garnered international attention, especially in China, due to its shape, which resembles a dragon. This is a result of the reservoir created by the Odeleite dam, constructed in 1996 to provide water to the east of Algarve (Sotavento Algarvio).

Flows through: Portugal.

River data from Wikidata (CC0); lengths normalised to a common unit.