Casa das Barcas

The owner was lovely, speaks French, and enjoys chatting about Pico and its beautiful spots. The old house has been furnished nicely in a traditional style. Some things are showing their age, especially the bathroom, but it was still clean. Thanks.

A lovely place to stay, with a host who was both courteous and friendly.

We spent three nights here after an ill-advised travel agency booking, and it spoiled those days of our family holiday. The property looks dated but passable from the outside; the photos give a misleading impression. Inside, it’s old and badly maintained. The two rooms facing the sea and busy road are acceptable, though extremely basic. The others were damp, peeling, smelly, and furnished with old furniture and awful beds. Their bathrooms were a nightmare. I’d hoped at least for cleanliness, but that was even worse than the condition of the house. I never saw the manager, apart from three WhatsApp messages. An elderly woman who only spoke Portuguese prepared a meager breakfast and was supposed to clean the rooms. If you can, avoid this place so it doesn’t ruin your vacation too.

This was easily the worst place I’ve stayed. It’s listed as having Wi-Fi and a TV, but neither was there. The room was tiny, and the bathroom barely had room for one person. The shower had no handheld head, so taking a shower meant washing my hair every time. The towels were very worn, and at night I had to keep killing giant cockroaches. It calls itself a hotel, but it’s a house with three rooms. Breakfast was very poor. A terrible experience, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.