This impressive 173 foot (53 meters) tall structure is the most significant and intriguing remnant of an 18th-century plan gone wrong. Presa El Gasco was designed to be the starting point for a waterway extending well over 400 miles (771 kilometers), and dropping over 2,000 feet to Lisbon. A partial collapse and financial problems put a stop to the project years after it was clear no significant shipping could have been supported with the available water supply. Today, the area around Presa El Gasco is a natural enclave with beautiful…
