My husband and I spent a wonderful 3 days at this uniquely beautiful resort. The service was unparalleled - we felt like visiting royalty. We sampled just about every service the resort had to offer, firstly a wine tasting provided by Paulo, the owner. The facility grows its own grapes and produce several different wines for local consumption, all of which were very good. There was a dinner included in our package, created by Paulo’s wife Carmen, also delicious. We were provided a jeep tour of the local countryside and the owners’ vineyards by Pedro, son of the owners! It really is a family business operated with lots of passion for their craft and the desire to provide exquisite & memorable experiences for their guests. We made good use of both the outdoor pool and the spa, including relaxing massages. We also had their 5 course tasting menu, which was very good. We had a cooking lesson provided, of course, by Carmen and had lunch on the fruits of that labour on our last full day. The most interesting, unique and memorable aspect of this resort is the surroundings. The resort has been built in the hills of northern Portugal on the site of a former medieval village, some of which remains intact below the resort. There is a 12th century castle and citadel which abuts the resort and is definitely worth touring (and especially seeing at night when it is beautifully lit). It is truly otherworldly to stroll through the village, inhabited by residents whose families have been there for many generations! Thank you again to Carmen, Paulo, Pedro, Sofia, Sandy, Christina and our massage therapist whose name escapes me, as well as all the other staff who helped makes our stay so amazing. It was one of our most memorable experiences ever and we hope to come...
Read moreMy husband and I spent a wonderful 3 days at this uniquely beautiful resort. The service was unparalleled - we felt like visiting royalty. We sampled just about every service the resort had to offer, firstly a wine tasting provided by Paulo, the owner. The facility grows its own grapes and produce several different wines for local consumption, all of which were very good. There was a dinner included in our package, created by Paulo's wife Carmen, also delicious. We were provided a jeep tour of the local countryside and the owners' vineyards by Pedro, son of the owners! It really is a family business operated with lots of passion for their craft and the desire to provide exquisite & memorable experiences for their guests. We made good use of both the outdoor pool and the spa, including relaxing massages.|We also had their 5 course tasting menu, which was very good. We had a cooking lesson provided, of course, by Carmen and had lunch on the fruits of that labour on our last full day.|The most interesting, unique and memorable aspect of this resort is the surroundings. The resort has been built in the hills of northern Portugal on the site of a former medieval village, some of which remains intact below the resort. There is a 12th century castle and citadel which abuts the resort and is definitely worth touring (and especially seeing at night when it is beautifully lit). It is truly otherworldly to stroll through the village, inhabited by residents whose families have been there for many generations!|Thank you again to Carmen, Paulo, Pedro, Sofia, Sandy, Christina and our massage therapist whose name escapes me, as well as all the other staff who helped makes our stay so amazing. It was one of our most memorable experiences ever and we hope to come...
Read moreThis is a very different kind of place in that it is in a relatively remote area with individual cabins as accommodations. Yet it offers many amenities. ||We found the most outstanding part of our stay here to be the food. Breakfasts offered a large selection of hot and cold items. Everything was very fresh. ||But the dinners were absolutely outstanding… not just for the food but also for the exceptionally lovely and intimate setting… lit almost entirely by candlelight artfully placed in a traditional Portuguese styled dining room. ||The vegetable soups were so amazing I finished every drop. The meat and fish choices were also excellent as were the desserts. We especially enjoyed the codfish in a casserole dish.||The young lady who served our dinners was absolutely delightful. Gosh, I tried to remember her name. I’m so sorry I can’t right now. But she was very charming and set out the candles in such a way that I wish I could duplicate here at home.||The entire staff was very welcoming, courteous...
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