Casa do Pinhal - Orbacém

The house is solid stone and stays cool in the heat. It's tastefully decorated with classic dark wood and terracotta floors. The bedrooms are all comfortably large, the bathrooms are clean and function well with adequate hot water for a family. There is covered parking for two cars; a real benefit in the heat. The pool is properly maintained without using too much chlorine. There is a beautiful church only five minutes or so by foot. The gardens have green lawns and offer enough space for guests to find their own little corner to snooze away the afternoon. We stayed with a two year old and other than normal supervision, there was no need for special attention; the pool is entirely shut-off with a gate, and there is a swingset, a wendy-house, and a model ride-on tractor. The weather in this region is cooler than I expected, which makes sleeping comfortable. There is often an ocean mist in the morning, which burns away by lunchtime. The beaches are incredible, even on the weekend you can find your own patch of sand. There are acceptable restaurants, good snacks and beach shops along the front in VP Ancora. The local towns are worth a visit, with historical sites and a nice market in Viana do Castelo. The only thing that could have made this stay better would have been a more modern washing machine for clothes, but we managed OK nonetheless. Really, an exceptional week, with a warm personal welcome from the owner. It can be a little tricky to find, even with GPS. The best way is to use the church ('Igreja') as a landmark.

Wir haben im Juli 2,5 Wochen in diesem schönen Ferienhaus mit einem wundervollen und sehr großen Garten verbracht. Der Garten ist in verschiedene Ebenen unterteilt und bietet sehr viele schattige Plätzchen. Es sind ausreichend Liegen und Sitzgelegenheiten vorhanden. Auch für Ballspiele war ausreichend Platz. Der Pool ist sehr schön groß. Auf der Terrasse, mit herrlichem Blick ins Tal, gibt es einen Tisch für 6 Personen.

Das Haus liegt auf einem Hügel, abseits größerer Straßen. Also sehr ruhig.

Das Haus liegt ca. 15 Fahrminuten von Ancora entfernt. Dort findet man auch den nächsten größeren Supermarkt und natürlich den Strand. In Ancora gibt es verschiedene Restaurants.

Als Basis für verschiedene Ausflüge ist das Haus sehr gut geeignet. Bis nach Porto sind es ca. 80 km, bis nach Santiago de Compostela ca. 150 km (Achtung: Beim Grenzübertritt nach Spanien Zeitumstellung beachten.)

This is a beautiful villa set in some lovely gardens. The sea is just visible from the balcony when the weather is fine. The property is clean, well furnished and comfortable. The owner showed us around the property on arrival and left a small welcome pack which was an unexpected surprise. The pool was excellent and would be particularly good for families with children as is was quite shallow at one end. There are minimal amenities locally in the village, but it was in a beautiful peaceful setting and a joy to wander about. Supermarket and beaches are only 15 mins drive away. We enjoyed the local Ancora river and in the end wished we had had the time to explore more if its beautiful pools and cascades. The Quinta d'Arga restaurant in Dem, also about 15 mins drive, was excellent for a blow out steak washed down with frothy Vinho Verde.