Vila Coura - Agroturismo

The breakfast delivered each morning was the cherry on top, with fruit, juice, fresh baked goods, meats and cheeses. José was an excellent host from beginning to end, going above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. We really appreciated his attention and care. The property is beautiful and the staff were fantastic. Everything about our stay at Vila Coura was amazing, and we can’t recommend it enough.

Once the loudest family had checked out, the atmosphere changed completely. We could read, other guests relaxed and swam, and it finally felt like the peaceful stay we’d hoped for. Before that, though, the noise at the pool was overwhelming: a family had a speaker playing loudly while around six children yelled, played and splashed. We felt like intruders in their area, and the next day was much the same. We were getting anxious enough to think about leaving, but we messaged the owners’ son and found out that family was leaving that day. We stayed three nights at Vila Coura, which is beautiful, and the surrounding area is too. The apartments are decorated really well and are great for relaxing. There’s also a lovely shared outdoor space that would be perfect for a wine tasting or another event. We’d arrived straight from a cycling holiday and didn’t have a car. They kindly picked us up at the nearest train station, but shopping was difficult. The nearest supermarket, about a 10-minute walk away, is more like a kiosk with basic things. We wanted to cook a nice dinner but couldn’t get what we needed, and there aren’t really restaurants within walking distance either. One night we took a taxi to the nearest city to shop and eat out, which cost 14€ each way. We’d expected to meet Celia and Daniela after reading such kind things about them, but neither spoke English. We had to contact their son on WhatsApp with questions. It wasn’t a huge problem, though it made it harder to ask about things like whether olive oil would be replenished or if we had to buy it, and the empty shampoo dispensers. The place has so much potential, and we do want to recommend it. Just be prepared for either the vibe of an all-inclusive hotel in Egypt or that of a relaxing winery.

It felt like stepping into a movie: olive trees, old buildings and a vineyard we were invited to wander through. Behind it all was a villa with a pool, modern inside but decorated in a Tuscany style. The owners were super helpful and had suggestions ready for local restaurants and winery tastings. We’ll probably plan a trip just to come back for a week.

The place was clean, the decor looked new and the internet was very fast. The price is fair if you only need somewhere to sleep, but I expected much more from the website and wouldn’t personally come back. I’m not sure I’d recommend it. I also don’t understand calling it an “agroturismo”: we weren’t shown anything agricultural, or given any information about it. Check-in was pleasant enough, but very quick, with no extra information. I don’t think it should be my job as a guest to ask a thousand questions on arrival. The website says rooms are cleaned daily, but that didn’t happen while we were out working all day, and nobody asked whether we wanted the service. That’s fine, but then it shouldn’t be advertised. Breakfast was a disaster. The basket idea is cute, but it had only a couple of pieces of cheese, some ordinary supermarket chorizo, one apple or orange for fresh fruit, and supermarket juice. There were instant coffee bags, but only Nespresso machines in the rooms, so you have to buy the expensive pods if you want coffee. The pool was good, though we could hear the highway / via Verde nearby. After checkout we stayed by the pool for another 50 minutes. We’d forgotten cheese, ham and drinks in the fridge, all things we’d bought ourselves because breakfast was so bad. We remembered before leaving and asked for them, but were told they’d been thrown away. I know it was our mistake, but they could easily have checked with us while we were still by the pool. That sums up why I didn’t find the service as spectacular as other reviews describe.