Quinta do Canavial

The location is beautiful, with a lovely pool and great views, and the owner was very friendly. The rooms are very small and a bit dilapidated. Breakfast was mediocre, and they no longer serve restaurant dinners.

We walked about 30min from Velas (harbor) to the accommodation, with a supermarket along the way. It's on a slope in a very quiet neighborhood, with a beautiful view. Our room's furnishings were a little older, and the bathroom air wasn't ventilated very well. There were plenty of outdoor places to sit and eat, as well as a communal pool. Breakfast was a highlight and included in the price, served buffet-style with bread/rolls, sausage, cheese, jam, yogurt, etc. The landlady was very friendly and helpful, especially with tips on places worth seeing on the island.

The people were nice, BUT from the sad reception to the grim room, most of this place would spoil a holiday unless you're specifically looking for somewhere depressing. The view of the ocean was lovely, though a football pitch in front of it wasn't. The room was very small, with only three thin, lumpy pillows for two people. The extra length bed is a myth. There were no coffee or tea facilities in the room, and the Wi-Fi kept failing. The toilet seat was broken. There was lots of shower mold, and we found small lizards in the shower and moved them outside. It took so long for water to reach the shower that I considered going to reception to ask if there was a hot water problem. The bathroom had zero ventilation, and the cabinet was delaminating and dirty. The room entrance was exposed to rain. The mosquito net was just fabric draped around the bed posts, with no way to cover the bed. The light switches worked erratically. We booked a different place for our last night.

Maria made the stay especially easy. Even with the weather turning bad, she was friendly and gave us ideas for where to go and what to do. The hotel sits in a beautiful spot, and the rooms are separate bungalows with a lovely view. We’d definitely recommend it.