Paço de Calheiros

We stopped for lunch with the Count and his sculptor friend while on our VBT bike tour. He was welcoming and proud of the work he’d put into restoring the place. The meal was well seasoned, and even the wine came from the property. It’s an impressive house, with original furnishings and a big, friendly dog.

I’m probably biased, since I live nearby and this family have been kind neighbors to me, a foreigner, for decades. I’ve watched them care for their home, hotel, and palace, and share a special glimpse of Portugal’s history and culture. Whenever I can, I bring guests over and ask if I can show them the view from the formal gardens: the green Lima River valley, the old Roman bridge down in the village, and, between the hills, a glimpse of the Atlantic. It’s peaceful and relaxing, and makes a great base for visiting nearby sights.

We had an emergency at home, so our stay didn’t go as we’d hoped, but the kindness and support we received were above and beyond. They helped us through it, and this place felt like a home from home. It’s a unique experience and won’t disappoint. Thank you. I hope we can come back in better circumstances.

The views, location, and surroundings are spectacular, but we found plenty of problems with the stay. Our room had cobwebs everywhere and a layer of dust on the furniture. The daily cleaning seemed to amount to making the bed. It was sparsely furnished, with a comfortable bed but otherwise very basic. The kitchenette lacked essentials, and the microwave and kettle were very old or didn’t work properly. There’s no Wi-Fi, and no reception or concierge to ask about information or activities mentioned when booking. A spa is also mentioned, but apparently isn’t in use. Breakfast was quite basic. Some fruit from the farm was nice, but the rest seemed to come from Lidl. On our last day a wedding took over parts of the estate, with loud music going into the early hours. We couldn’t sleep at all. The place has potential, but needs a lot of improvement, and we left disappointed.