VELINN Pousada Dom Sossego

We stayed in “casa 2,” which can sleep up to six. It’s a two-level space with a staircase separating the sleeping areas. Downstairs there’s a double bedroom, a living room with a really good-sized fireplace, a little kitchen with a fridge and, believe it or not, a wood-burning stove, plus a spacious bathroom. Upstairs, the chalet-style room has wood finishes, two single beds and one double bed. There’s also a second bathroom up there, but it only has a toilet and sink, no shower. The shower is downstairs. The guesthouse is old, and the wooden floor upstairs makes a lot of noise when you walk around. Breakfast was straightforward and decent, with bread, cakes, juice and fruit. Parking is pretty tight, with room for around five cars at most. It’s well situated, and you can walk to the town center, though the route has some uphill and downhill stretches and can be tiring. It may be easier to pay for parking in town, which costs at most 10,00 for the whole day, or look for a nearby street and leave the car there. I hadn’t been to Monte Verde in more than 30 years, and we really liked how welcoming the town is now, with lots of restaurants, shops and leisure options. We took a Pajero 4x4 tour to distilleries, chocolate and soap factories, and a really good charcuterie shop too.

Breakfast was very complete, and parking fits about four or five medium-sized cars. The reception isn’t open 24 hours, so it’s a good idea to arrange your arrival time in advance. It’s a good-value place to stay, about 500m from Monte Verde’s main street. Our junior room had a small fireplace, though firewood costs extra and there’s no iron poker. The box bed was very comfortable, the gas-heated shower worked really well, and there was Wi-Fi and a smart TV.

We felt so at home that we didn’t want to leave, haha. The owners made us feel very welcome, and our room was spotless and well organized. The location is great too, close to the main avenue, so we walked everywhere. Being surrounded by nature was lovely, and there’s plenty of contact with animals here. If you love animals as much as we do, you’ll enjoy this place. Breakfast was delicious, with standout pão de queijo and fresh orange juice made from the fruit itself, which not every guesthouse serves. We’ll definitely come back. We’re grateful for everything!

The inn is really beautiful, and the staff are kind, especially Maya, the canine “employee.” We did have trouble with the adapter, though, so I couldn’t use my hair dryer, and I felt there wasn’t much effort to sort it out.