Casa do Monte — Hotel in Baião

We were a large group of 14 friends and stayed at the Casa do Monte Douro for eleven days in June. The villa is not only gorgeous, combining old world character with 21st Century comfort, but it was the perfect location from which to explore the Douro Valley and the northern cities and towns of Portugal. Nestled among acres and acres of terraced vineyards, none of us will soon forget the spectacular views, the villa grounds -- a gardener’s delight – as well as the wide array of living spaces and amenities, the favorites among which were the hot tub, the gym, the games room, and the swimming pool. ||We started each day with a delicious breakfast prepared by the wonderful Rosa, the villa’s caretaker/housekeeper. Her support and assistance made our stay all the better. Villa owner Marcus is a gracious, responsive, informative, and welcoming host. His suggestions and assistance with arranging experiences such as a local chef to prepare dinner, a curated list of wineries to visit, and advice and assistance in booking other local adventures, made our stay all the more memorable. ||For most of us, this was our first trip to Portugal, and we could not have asked for a better introduction to this amazing country and in particular, the wine region. As seasoned villa-experience travelers, we highly recommend Casa do...

While I did not handle the booking, we stayed for a week with our family of 21 adults and kids. What what I know, the booking experience was very positive and the owner was extremely helpful for booking wine visits, making restaurant reservations and other excursions. This place is amazing! Each room is spacious, well furnished, and very clean. The room AC was nice to have. All of the bathrooms are modern. There is so much space to spread out but also come together in the dining room or on the patios. The pool is very clean and refreshing with a nearby bathroom. The movie theatre is fun and the kids loved it. The grounds are beautiful and fun to wander around too. The kitchen is modern but they retained the charm of an old farmhouse. You can make all of your meals here or mix it up and support local cafes and restaurants. Views and serenity of the location was so relaxing. While it is a bit off the beaten path and that is part of the manic of the location, once you get used to the hilly, curved roads it is easy to get to and from the motor way and to nearby towns. We’ve rented many a farmhouse in Europe and this was by far the best property, location,...

This place deserves awards for how special it is! My husband and I booked Casa Do Monte for our wedding venue in 2024. We booked it about 9 months in advance and during that time, the owner, Marcus, met with us to discuss logistics and make sure everything related to our wedding was as perfect as possible. His help was never advertised or expected but he is an incredible person who helped make our wedding into the perfect day. We had about 22 guests stay in the house over a 4 day period. Breakfast was always laid out in a beautiful spread every morning by the homemaker, Rosa, who greets you every morning with a bom dia and the warmest smile. Casa Do Monte is also situated in the perfect hopping off spot in the Douro Valley for wine tours. Our wedding party rented 2 15-person shuttle buses that transported us from the house to 2 spectacular wineries within the region. ||We can’t express enough the gratitude we have for this place and the people associated with it. This is truly a hidden gem in the Douro Valley and it’s hard to imagine there are many other listings out there that can compete...