We loved this little bed and breakfast for its location, price, comfort and free parking right outside the hotel. Fernando, our host/bartender/waiter/tourist information guide was very friendly, obliging and warm. He made us feel very welcome and at home here.|| ||This little place has 5 ensuite bedrooms over 2 floors. One of the bedrooms opens onto the little lobby downstairs. There is no lift. We had booked a double room and were shown a room (Room 2) right at the top of the stairs and given an option to switch to a bigger room. We declined the offer as the space in the room was adequate for us and we had a fantastic view of the surrounding area from the room window. Both the air-conditioning and the hot water shower worked very well. The room was very clean and the bed was comfortable. The downside was that the wi-fi signal was very weak in our room so we couldn't access the internet. It is also advisable to bring a pair of earplugs if one is a light sleeper as the sound isolation within the building is rather poor (a feature of many of the hotels in Portugal). There was a faint musty smell in the small lobby but this didn't reach the rooms. ||||Breakfast was typically Portuguese with bread, ham, cheese, butter, jam, yoghurt, a piece of cake, coffee, milk and orange squash, served in the restaurant opposite the hotel. The impressive castle is a gentle uphill walk of 7 minutes from the bed and breakfast. There is some upgrading work being done within the walls of the castle (installing of public toilets, etc.) but visitors still have access to the castle. Entry is free (for now) and it is open 24/7. || ||Marvão is a lovely little village built on a high point in the Serra de São Mamede mountain range near the border with Spain. It is a village that is worth the visit. The whole village sits within a fortified wall of which the castle is the main lookout point. Exploring the castle, walking along the walls that form the perimeter of the village and taking in the magnificent views, one can imagine living in the era when Spain and Portugal were nations at war with each other. It will also make you stop and wonder at the tenacity and ingenuity of the people of that era in building the fortified walls and castle from the jagged rock.||||We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and wouldn't hesitate to stay at the Varanda do Alentejo again. For €54/night (Carnaval period) it was good value for money!