Estrela Serenity Resort

The rooms are a little dated, but had everything we needed, and the mountain-cottage feel grew on me. I still miss those peaceful walks to the cafeteria. The views from the yoga and meditation space were amazing, and the staff were friendly and very accommodating. We also loved the hot sauna, pool, and gyms, while the restaurant staff were consistently on point with healthy food. We stayed six nights, and the whole experience was amazing. The hotel sits high up in Portugal’s livable mountain ranges, with stunning views and sunrises and sunsets that are to die for. Five stars from me!

After attending meditation retreats in several places around Europe over the past year, we’ve never come across a hotel team as warmly supportive and professional as this one. They were always looking for a solution, whatever came up. We’ve just had a meditation retreat here, and it was outstanding. Up on the mountain and surrounded by nature, it’s an ideal place for a silence retreat.

The peaceful evening light made dinner especially nice, and the food was delicious overall. Breakfast had plenty of variety and made for a great start to the day. I would have liked a wider choice of vegetarian dishes. It’s a remote mountain hideaway surrounded by beautiful nature, with carefully kept grounds, a peaceful pond, and a striking 25-meter pool for relaxing or swimming laps. Service was outstanding. The staff were approachable, attentive, and clearly cared about making guests comfortable. The rooms were spotless and well maintained, too. A lovely place to unwind in nature without giving up comfort or good service.

The contemplation room was beautiful to practice in, and the views and accommodation were 10/10. Sara made our retreat feel special, taking care of lots of little extras that we really appreciated. Every staff member was amazing, and the chef did a great job catering for vegan and coeliac needs. An incredible place to stay. Thank you so much!