Casas da Ladeira

Nice place.

The view is beautiful, and the management were helpful. The room had air conditioning too. But for the price, the quality is poor. We booked through Booking.com with 'Villas de Matagosa', the name they use for themselves, though 'villas' doesn’t seem like the right description. The cottages are basic, with old furniture, an uncomfortable bed, and outdated appliances. The bathroom is about the size of a toilet. The hamlet around it is very run-down, and there’s absolutely nothing to do there. When we arrived, we were told the dog would cost an extra €15 per night, which hadn’t been mentioned beforehand. It feels like they’re aiming for the highest return with very little investment.

The view is beautiful, but there’s very little support in the village. If you want something to eat, bring it with you. The nearest place to eat is about 10 kms away, along a mountain road that feels dangerous at night because there are no shoulders and the signs are lacking. That’s a big drawback if you’re travelling with children. The accommodation itself was uncomfortable, with outdated, impractical furniture. The dishes were dirty, and the other appliances were filthy. All the safety equipment in the house was past its expiry date. Our arrival was off to a bad start: no one had information about our booking. Once that was sorted out, we were assigned a villa that wasn’t clean or ready. They made an effort to prepare it, but cleaning was neglected and it stayed that way until we left. We reported a bathroom fault, a break in the toilet outlet that flooded the bathroom, but it was still broken when we checked out. There was no blackout blind in the living area, so light came in from 6:30 in the morning. We told them about it, but they only expressed regret and did nothing to address it. Thanks to D. Lurdes for the help she could give, though she couldn’t do more than she did. I do have photos of what I’ve described, but I’m embarrassed to publish them. I shared them with the company, and also passed the message to company management for their information. I obviously don’t recommend staying here.

The views over the dam were lovely, and it was only about a three-minute walk down to the water for a swim. We were a big group spread across several apartments and houses, but everything worked out really well. There were enough bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen space for us. Sra Lurdes was wonderful, so thoughtful and helpful. We had a great time!