Are there that many stars in the sky? The fascination of who arrives at night at Quinta da Dourada is always related to the blessings of nature, the silence we hear, the fresh and pure air we breathe and the starring sky, which allows us to clearly make out the Milky Way. It goes without saying that rest is guaranteed here, that is clear.

In the heart of the São Mamede Mountain, in broad protected landscape, Quinta da Dourada is the ideal setting for a spiritual retreat. It’s not like there is nothing to do. It’s just that we don’t feel like doing anything except for enjoying the excellent conditions for relaxing.

It was for this purpose that Nuno Malato Correia began the conversion of the family’s property to a rural tourism guesthouse. In the old days, the structures sheltered the houses of the agricultural workers from the large Tapada da Dourada and the horse stables. It was that way for two hundred years. After envisioning his future here, Nuno Malato built his own house and next to it he built three more houses – the perfect number to keep the tranquility.

There are five rooms available, divided between the Santo António House, the São Bento House and the São Mamede House, of which, on this last one, one of the rooms, the Blue Room, can also be used independently. In addition to the rooms, each house also has a kitchenette, a living room and a bathroom. The fun starts when, entering our corresponding house, we are looking for the kitchen. Only after opening all the cupboards we find a mini kitchen with everything necessary, a kitchen stove, sink, exhaust hood and microwave. The idea is that anyone who wishes to spend a weekend indoors, in a completely autonomous way, has the possibility of doing so.

Even to have breakfast you don’t need to leave the house. In the evening, cheese, ham, butter, milk, juice and yogurts are placed in the fridge for you. And in the morning, at the previously established time, warm bread is brought to your door. The traditional cloth bag for the bread is placed on the door’s lock from the outside.

A suggestion: set this “bread time” for quite late, because a night of sleep here is a real pleasure and it goes on until the last hours of the morning. Forget the alarm clock, because not even a powerful clock is able to get us up from such a sweet sluggishness.

By this time of the day, you can already step outside and have breakfast on one of the exterior tables. At this point, we can take the opportunity to enjoy the surrounding beauty of the verdant mountains, the chestnut trees orchards and the house’s architecture.

Similarly to the interior, the outdoors stand out for its simplicity, rusticity and good taste. We see a real Alentejo house, plaster white surface, with doorframes painted in a rare blood-red tone. It is Nuno who explains us the why of this color.  According to him, in this winery area of the Northern Alentejo, the remains of the wine production used to be mixed with whitewash to decorate doors and windows. The compounds of these inks had repellent properties – for the undesired bugs, to be clear! Nuno decided to restore that traditional and almost forgotten in time color through modern painting techniques, managing to get a truly unique effect.

With restored body and full belly, it’s time to go for a walk. Without leaving the property, there are seven hectares to be crossed. In full contact with nature, the paths leads us to breathtaking landscapes and to observing animals already so rare these days, hares, foxes and owls are some of the species which live here and which, from time to time, make an appearance. They are the confirmation that we are really inside the Natural Park of the São Mamede Mountain.

And the swimming pool.  That color so blue, so blue, that we really feel like going for a swim. Ideal well spent afternoon, under a big sun umbrella or one of the immense trees around the house. Even if the sun doesn’t burn, the nap under the cork oak is still possible.

Quinta da Dourada is a leisure space for all family, where even the four paws friends have a place. There is a semi-covered kennel for cats and dogs, with automatic feed, so that they can also enjoy a hotel accommodation… Meanwhile, the adults rest and breathe the mountain’s fresh air, the teenagers make use of the bicycles to tour around with no dangers and the smaller ones run freely and laugh at the freedom they have here. And they laugh a lot.

All in all – opened less than a year ago, Quinta da Dourada has five double rooms available, all with full bathroom, kitchenette, air conditioner, satellite TV with Sport TV, DVD and CD readers and safe box. In the exterior you can find a swimming pool and a semi covered kennel for pet animals. There are also mountain bicycles for the clients and parking at the property. (Ribeira de Nisa, Portalegre/ Tel. 245.203.487)

  

A wraparound

  

  

  

  

Check in

15:00-00:00 hours

Check-out

Until 12:00 hours

Children and extra beds

All children are welcome.

Free! A child under 6 year (s): will be accommodated free of charge when using existing baby crib.

Free! One child under 2 year(s): will be accommodated free of charge in a baby crib.

One older child or adult is charged EUR 10 per night per person for extra beds.

Maximum capacity of extra beds / baby crib in the room: 1

Any type of extra bed or baby crib is available upon request and must be confirmed by the hotel.

Supplements will not be calculated automatically in the total costs and have to be paid separately during your stay.

Pets

Free! Pets admited without charge.

Cancellation / Prepayment

Cancellation and prepayment policies vary by room type. Please check the room conditions when selecting your room.

30% down payment of the total amount of the stay,in the moment of the reservation, wich must be made up to 48 hours after confirmation of availability; even if the reception is not confirmed at this time, the reservation expires; remaining payment made at check-in.

Cards accepted by accommodation

Visa

Coordinates GPS:   W 7º 23' 4622  /  N 39º 18' 5522  /  Altitude 408 miles

From National Road (from the direction of Lisbon):

By Motorway (from Lisbon direction):