Paço de Lanheses

What a place to stay! The opposite end of the spectrum from the standard continental holiday apartment. It is the real Portuguese 'home' experience, although this home is a manor house that has been in the same family for hundreds of years as can be seen in the décor, photos and artefacts in the gracious living rooms and bedrooms and gardens. Yet all the comforts are in place - kitchen, en suites, balcony for outside dining, swimming pool, WiFi. And, very importantly, our host (the owner of the mansion) was on hand to advise us about the area and best places to see, restaurants, museums and local events etc. For us this included booking up a magical evening horse ride along the beach in a local town. We also swam in rivers, visited the national park, surfed in the Atlantic and experienced the local village summer festival activities. We loved the peaceful atmosphere and the rural beauty of the area, seemingly off the major tourist tracks where one could escape to traditional rural villages and order a coffee in bars and cafes used by locals. A wonderful week - we hope to be back!