Location

Santa Comba Dão is located in the southwest limit of the area of Viseu district, almost halfway between Viseu and Coimbra.

The Municipality of Santa Comba Dão has an area of 112,5 Km2 distributed by its nine parishes: Couto do Mosteiro, Nagosela, Óvoa, Pinheiro de Ázere, Santa Comba Dão, S. Joaninho, S. João de Areias, Treixedo e Vimieiro.

The river Mondego marks the south boundary between Santa Comba and the municipalities of Penacova and Tábua. The west limit is marked by the valleys of the rivers Dão and Criz, the opposite bank belonging to the municipality of Mortágua. The northern boundary, between the municipalities of Santa Comba Dão and Tondela, is almost a straight line linking the river Criz (west) with the river Dão (east). Finally, the east boundary longs the river Dão from north to south and then outlines the parish of S. João de Areias until it reaches the river Mondego. On the other side of this border we can find the municipality of Carregal do Sal.

The municipality and the town itself coincide with this area shaped by the three rivers, its limits being clearly drawn by the valleys of the rivers Mondego and Criz, while the Dão valley marks a clear division between the north and the south parts of the municipality. Hills and plateaus, the essential mark of this region, together with the hydrographical basin and the enormous artificial lake formed by the Aguieira waterdam shape the present landscape of the territory. As to the soil morphology, the granite and the schist are predominant and they distinguish the landscape as well as the traditional architecture.