Property available for...
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Long term lets (over 1 month)
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House swap
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Short term breaks (4 days or fewer)
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Holiday lets (1 to 4 weeks)
Summary
This is one of the most privileged spots in the region, if not Portugal, and the owner likes to share it rather than screw extra out of visitors.
The stone cottage (recently renovated) stands at the very end of a cobbled road on the edge of a crazy little hillside hamlet, only about 10 – 12 minutes’ drive from shops and restaurants. All you are likely to hear are birdsong and the gentle rush of the cascades. The views (house faces south-west) are gorgeous. Outside (and exclusive to the cottage) are a large patio with tables and chairs, barbecue, petanque court, 12-metre swimming pool. This is as natural as a pool can be: spring-fed and with a foot-friendly shingle bottom, water passes from the spring through 600 metres of black piping, so that on a sunny day it warms the pool (which is also in the full sun). So no chlorine, pumps, or boring tiles!
The owner’s house is next to, but separate from, the cottage, but is 'screened off' as far as possible for mutual privacy.
Description of Interior
It has two bedrooms, one on the ground floor (with bunk beds) the other (double bed) on the upper floor, right next to the shower room. The upper bedroom has a veranda overlooking the grounds and the heart-stopping view down the valley to the hills beyond. All rooms have electric oil-filled radiators with timer switches.
The kitchen and sitting room are open plan. Facilities include: satellite TV; DVD player; portable hi-fi; games and books; log-burning fire (wood provided); microwave; fitted hob and oven; fridge/freezer; coffee maker; kettle; toaster; ironing; hair dryer; and of course cutlery, pots and pans, glassware etc. You also have free use of our washing machine, in an outhouse just across the patio, plus two mountain bikes.
Garden and Exterior
The private 12m infinity pool is fed by a spring, is much warmer than most pools, and enjoys breathtaking views down the valley. With its wooden decking and exotic planting, you will readily imagine you are in the tropics.
Special mention must be made of the gardens, which are conceived to be Asian-style and truly magical: an acre- and-a-half of little terraces, big rocks, winding pathways and a pond, bounded along about 120 metres by a series of cascades which tumble a total of almost 40 metres within the grounds - only slightly less than Niagara! That’s why the lower reaches of the gardens are not suitable for the elderly/infirm or toddlers.
In a private little walled garden is the sunken Japanese-style hot tub for two - a wonderfully romantic way to spend a warm summer's evening, with a bottle of bubbly and strawberries.
Location
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Country
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Portugal
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Region
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Costa de Prata / Siver Coast
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Town
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Penela
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Distances
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Coimbra
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27 kilometres
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Tomar
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45 kilometres
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Conimbriga Roman Ruins
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15 kilometres
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Silver Coast
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55 kilometres
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Porto
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120 kilometres
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Lisbon
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180 kilometres
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Lakeland
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20 kilometres
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Car advised:
Yes
Activities
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Bird watching
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Cultural area
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Cycling
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Fishing nearby
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Hiking
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Horse riding
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National park
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Walking
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Watersports
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Windsurfing
Local Area
This is a delightfully green and mountainous part of Portugal with arguably the most diverse scenery anywhere in Europe, and many places of interest, yet unspoiled by mass tourism.
The rivers and lakes of this area are normally crystal clear and almost tropically warm in summer - a delight to swim. Some have beaches with cafes and restaurants, others you might have all to yourself, even in high season.
Only 40 minutes by car is the riverside medieval university city of Coimbra, the regional capital.
A little nearer are the Roman ruins at Conimbriga, with some of the best preserved mosaics in Europe.
The city of Aveiro is a little over an hour away. Apart from some nice architecture, it is noted for its gondola rides, and the nearby seaside town of Costa Nova, celebrated for its candy-stripe houses.
The vast golden beaches of the Costa de Prata (Silver Coast) are about an hour's drive.
World Heritage Tomar, one of Portugal's finest small cities, noted for its castle and convent, is a little under one hour.
About two hours to the east, the Serra de Estrela, Portugal's highest point, has ski slopes, but is well worth seeing at any time of the year.
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Who says that you need to go abroad to have an amazing family holiday? Adventure could be waiting in the very country you live in. The UK is a beautiful place, with eclectic landscapes and a plethora of cultures to immerse yourself in;
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