Pata da Gaivota -- Atalaia

The location is ideal, and it’s a quiet place. Our room had two balconies, air conditioning, and direct access to the pool, plus a wonderfully comfortable bed and lovely linens and pillows. We liked the house’s architecture, pool, and view, too. The owner was warm and attentive, suggesting places to see and restaurants, and we tried those recommendations.

The garden was lovely, with a great place to sit and a wonderful pool. Inside, the apartment was clean, thoughtfully furnished, and had everything we needed. The beds were comfortable, too. The problem was the visitor rules. After the rental fee had already been charged, we got a homemade booklet on arrival with outing and restaurant tips, along with house rules. It said visitors needed advance approval, but that hadn’t been mentioned in the apartment description when I booked. This wasn’t our first time in Lourinha: our son-in-law is from Lourinha and my father-in-law lives here, so I hadn’t read the booklet. Before the vacation, I’d emailed the owner to say we planned to meet my daughter’s family in Lourinha, but she never answered. When they came to visit and the children swam in the pool, we got nasty emails saying we’d broken the rules. The other apartment was empty, and the only other person on the property was the owner’s mother, who lives behind and above the apartment. The emails also said any future visits would need approval and incur a pool entrance fee, although that fee rule wasn’t even in the booklet. If you’re looking for quiet and no contact, it may be a relaxing place. It didn’t work for us. We were annoyed and uncomfortable, and the Wi-Fi was poor.

The view was peaceful, and it was nice to have a pool and a games room to enjoy. The place was clean and pleasant, and the service felt personal and really attentive.

Simply wonderful, I’d love to experience it again.