Casa Marmelo — Hotel in Baião

This villa has the wow factor , the roads leading up to it are not for the faint hearted as they are typically Portuguese hill roads winding steeply to take you to the destination - but honestly this is the only minor drawback and you soon get used to them.

The villa itself set on the banks the beautiful Douro river offers unrivalled views - the accommodation is exemplary, every need is catered for with one of the best equipped kitchens of any we have stayed at. On arrival you are met by the housekeeper Helena who does not speak English however with Google translate and minimal Portuguese requests are easily and always accommodated. She had baked us a cake and presented us with local delicacies , a nice touch. Each morning she made us a wonderful breakfast and was very flexible on timings when our plans changed.

The pool is a must in the heat we experienced and is well stocked with beds and chairs.

The downstairs pool table is a fantastic touch kept my family entertained in the evenings.

We did venture to the local bar at Port Antigo but in any sort of heat this is a hot trek of at least 45 minutes - we discovered though with the help of the very communicative and responsive owners that taxis were cheaply available and to this end often took a 9 seater to Cinfaes the nearest large village which has some wonderful and very reasonably priced restaurants, all for €30 return including pick up when required (just WhatsApp!)

All in all a super experience and one we will sample again - you will not be...

we knew @casamarmelodouro would be fabulous but nothing could have prepared us for the breathtaking views from every room and the incredibly warm hospitality of the owners and people who run the place for them. Located on the River Douro just over an hour away from Porto and in the heart of the wine region, this absolute gem of a place is worth visiting if you are in the area. It’s very remote and the the roads leading up gave us a minor hear attack (especially when we met a car coming towards us on one of the smallest roads I’ve ever driven forcing us to reverse up hill in almost dark 😱) but to be fair - it was worth the effort. The house has four double rooms, a heated pool and fully equipped kitchen. They also have a pool table which the kids loved and board games which came in handy when it rained one afternoon. Every room had an en-suite and the stay included a full cooked breakfast every morning 🤪 honestly one of the best places we’ve stayed in and probably going to come back in the summer when it’s warmer. Before our stay we were sent a world class itinerary that gave us suggestions as to where to eat, shop, what to do, taxi company numbers etc so we did not have to do any research at all! We booked a wine tour for one of the days which was fab and totally recommend it! In short - five stars...

Casa Marmelo was a trip of a lifetime and such a wonderful gift for our family. The villa was absolutely gorgeous and you wanted for nothing there as it was totally well equipped for your every need and desire. Our housekeeper, Helena, was the absolute BEST! She was always wanting to please and always available to help. We wanted to take her home with us because she became like family to us. Her breakfasts were wonderful and she always checked to make sure everything was great. We loved the amenities, enjoyed the pool every afternoon, and never tired of the incredible view. The hosts did all in their power to accommodate our every need and answer every question which was such a blessing. This was one of our most special and memorable trips ever! You will totally fall in love with Casa Marmelo if you ever have the opportunity to come stay here in this magical...