Poço

Poço is a small locality in the Coimbra district, in the municipality of Condeixa-a-Nova. The name means well, indicating that the settlement developed around or near a significant water well, a feature of particular importance in the dry limestone plateau terrain of this part of central Portugal where surface water is scarce.

The limestone karst landscape of the Condeixa plateau is porous, meaning rainwater drains rapidly into the rock and surface springs are rare. Wells that reached the water table were therefore critical resources for settlement and agriculture, and their locations often became the nuclei of rural communities.

On the Camino Português, Poço falls in the approach to the Roman ruins of Conimbriga, where the route crosses the limestone plateau before descending toward Condeixa and Coimbra.