Quinta De Guimaraes

We stayed here 2 nights in the big room in the main house. To start, the estate is just magical. Tucked away up a tiny hill, only accessible by a car, it looks upon a vast expanse of the valley and vineyards and even a bit of the duoro River from some parts. There are beautiful gardens, a lovely pool (we didn't use it as it was cold and raining), a gorgeous viewpoint, a tennis and basketball court to enjoy. Apart from there's a little chaple and beautiful rooms to read and have breakfast and meals. The highlight however of the stay was the food curated and made on request from a choice of menu by Fernanda. She made typical Portuguese regional plates and served them the old aristocratic ways. Each meal was a beautiful experience. On day one we chose a dinner of salad with meat croquets, a grilled bacalhau with potatoes eggs greens and a beef roast with a mustard sauce sweet potatoes, zucchini and beets and an unique mint rice on the side. The dessert was a baked meringue with a sweet yolk sauce and walnuts and seasonal fruits. Add to that a bottle of house wine and some porto to finish! Day 2 dinner was elaborate with a bacalhau a bràs, a slow roasted lamb with potatoes, cauliflower and greens. Baked brie with honey and walnuts and croquets plus a salad. The dessert was a sensational avocado icecream with dark chocolate plus a bottle of a wine from the estate and porto to finish. Each meal came to 49 something which was ok for the curated experience! This stay will be etched on my memory for long!

Excellent experience! We stayed at this property for a 3-day vacation with a group of friends and it exceeded all our expectations. Fernanda was an exceptional host; she made our stay comfortable and memorable. The farm fresh fruits, wonderful spread of food, and homemade jams were truly amazing. The stunning views of the Douro valley and river, the surrounding vineyard, the lovely estate, the 300 year old house and chapel, the friendly dogs - it was all a treat for the senses. A place where the whole group had fun. We would definitely go back to this place again.

This was our second trip to our favourite place in the Douro Valley. We simply love the estate and the kindness of the host Fernanda - this time we picked raspberries with her and her family. Cherries were also in season so we got to enjoy them fresh from the trees. It was warm enough to swim and lounge around by the pool and we came prepared with tennis rackets and balls to make use of the tennis court. We stayed in the vineyard house both times and enjoyed warm nights out on the porch overlooking the vineyard and valley. We love it there so much it’s hard to leave even for day trips along the Douro River. It’s just somewhere you want to stay. We’ll no doubt be back.