Casa dos Carvalhos

A beautiful, tidy, modern guest house, kept really clean. The rooms are lovely, the service is great, and there are nice extras and a pool. It’s a decent hike back up the hill from town, though a Bolt should be cheap enough if you don’t fancy the walk.

We had a terrace facing the city with a sunset view, and the beds were comfortable with a great shower and lots of bathroom counter space. The only downside was the distance: it’s a 16-20 minute walk to the town center and university. We took Ubers, which cost about 4€. This is a house with separate apartment rooms across 3 floors, and everything is arranged through WhatsApp. Ana Marie, the manager (?), was very responsive by text and sent all the door codes and arrival details ahead of time. There’s a housekeeper during the day, though we only saw her once, when we paid the extra tourist tax. The place is immaculate and tastefully built, and looks like fairly new construction on a residential street. It was pretty quiet at night. There’s a locked garage, a game room with ping pong, and a pool and deck area over the garages.

The room was bright and clean, with an ensuite toilet, TV, and air conditioner. There’s a private secured car park, along with a shared kitchen and common areas. The host was nice and sent all the check-in details well ahead of time. Just be aware it sits atop a small hill, so getting there from the center means climbing a few sloping streets.

We didn’t have breakfast included, but every morning we got fresh water, bottled water, and coffee for the Dolce gusto coffee maker. The pool was still open at the beginning of September. A very nice place, highly recommended.