Casa da Comareira

The room was small but warm, dry, clean, and cosy, with a comfortable bed and lovely warm blankets. They had even turned on the heat before I arrived. Inside, though, it stayed very dark, and the bathroom felt basic and dated. The local dogs were noisy but friendly once they knew me; the cats mostly kept their distance. This is a wonderfully quiet spot if you want to unwind among the forests and go hiking. Comareira is tiny, with old, unused schist cottages, and the accommodation sits below a short but steep hill that can get slippery in wet weather. It feels quite remote. Even reaching a cafe means at least a 20-minute drive on narrow, winding mountain roads. The roads are in good shape, but I wouldn’t want to drive them at night without knowing them, so I’d try to arrive in daylight. Beyond Aigra Nova, the road towards Pena becomes a rough dirt track over hills. Breakfast is served in the neighbouring village except on Sundays, about a 10-12 minute walk or a two-minute drive to Aigra Nova. It’s a simple European-style spread of coffee, bread, pastries, cheese, and ham, with no hot food. The applesauce was amazing, and breakfast did the job, though food isn’t the reason to come here. It starts at 09h, so let them know ahead of time if you need to leave earlier. There’s no other food in either village. A few things made the stay difficult. The listing says there’s WiFi, but in Comareira it was nearly nonexistent. My phone occasionally found a weak signal that kept dropping, and my laptop couldn’t find one at all. At check-in, the magnetic lockbox jammed while it was pouring rain. I was soaked, tried contacting them for over 20 minutes, and got no answer. Eventually I had to hit the box hard and yank it to free it. I never heard from them afterwards, so I didn’t bother asking about the other problems: a broken kettle, a malfunctioning TV, a dead light bulb, and a septic smell. There isn’t a kitchenette. The old, dirty fridge froze my fruit, and there was also a microwave that didn’t seem very useful. No coffee maker either, though the snacks and water they left were handy. Noise was another problem. I heard nothing from next door, but the family in the flat above was very loud and inconsiderate, banging around all night, with children screaming, shoes clomping, and toys or balls rolling and dropping. I had to sleep with earplugs. In such a peaceful, rustic place, that was a lot. I don’t think small children should be allowed there. If the guests upstairs are noisy, you’ll hear them the whole time. The shop in Aigra Nova is great, and the peaceful breakfast spot is a lovely way to start the day. The staff are incredibly kind, hardworking, welcoming, and lovely to talk to. They helped turn a decent stay into a wonderful one. I’d love to come back someday. It really is a unique place. 🙂