The best hotels in Portugal
It's no exaggeration to say Portugal's best hotels could rival some of the best hotels in the world. As a destination, Portugal has grown leaps and bounds to become a real contender when it comes to city breaks, beach holidays and road trips in Europe. With a golden coastline, buzzing cities and a historic wine region all within a short flight from the UK, it's hard to see why it took us all so long. With renewed interest, smart hotels have begun to pop up in almost every corner, giving new energy to Portugal's thriving cities and creating boutique bohemian coastal enclaves like Comporta and Melides – often quipped as the "new Ibiza."
From grand historic stays to glossy new openings, here we round up our pick of the best hotels in Portugal right now.
The best hotels in Portugal at a glance
- Best for location: Six Senses Douro Valley
- Best for luxury: Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon
- Best for families: Pine Cliffs Luxury Resort
- Best new opening: Hotel Vermelho
Scroll to see our full selection of hotels in Portugal to book for your next trip.
Nelson GarridohotelSublime Comporta
Featured in our Gold List of the best hotels in the world 2024
It was the frogs that got me. Almost camouflaged on their lily pads in the swimmable fresh water outside our Bio-pool suite, there were so many of them, and so blissed-out on their almost artificially green islands. Sublime Comporta feels a bit like that, too: a distant island from real life, where even our taxi driver started smiling as he pulled into its pine-scented 42 acres, with A-frame cabanas barely visible among the cork trees. Comporta – a protected area of rice paddies, pine forests and miles of sandy beach, with only a few tiny chi-chi villages interrupting nature – is known as Lisbon’s answer to The Hamptons these days, but when Sublime opened in 2014 it was much less known. The organic straw-and-wicker aesthetic might be familiar in a post-Tulum world, but this place has been a game-changer, so successful that it’s opened a cool Lisbon outpost and is converting an adjacent swathe of land. Life here still unfolds serenely: from the glassy, barn-like central Sem Porta restaurant out to the pool past the organic garden, with its circular bar around an open fire for locavore cookouts; for bucolic bike rides or electric shuttles to the beach club at the dreamy, surf-lashed Praia do Carvalhal. Critics point out that there’s not much to “do” in Comporta. The Sublime regulars, possibly a bit like the frogs, tend to think that’s entirely the point. Toby Skinner
Richard WaitehotelFour Seasons Hotel Ritz, Lisbon
As the hotel scene in Lisbon continues to grow, with new openings seemingly arriving monthly, one property stands out as a classic. Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon was built in 1959 by the Dictator Salazar as the city's first-ever luxury hotel and has managed to move through the decades maintaining its reputation for classic grandeur while keeping up with the pace of this ever-changing city. With a huge display of modern Portuguese art throughout the properties – from tapestries to paintings and sculptures – there's something truly unique in every corner. And if art isn't your thing, you'll be just as impressed by the sweeping views of the city from the hotel's rooms or the rooftop running track (yes, really).
It goes without saying that the food and drink offering at FS is impeccable; known mostly by locals for its extravagant brunch – an event fit for royalty, with tables loaded with cheese, meats, fish, sushi, desserts and even a chocolate station – the breakfast is just as sumptuous, and not to be missed. The hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant CURA joined the offering in 2020, led by chef Pedro Pena Basto, and serves a wonderful tasting menu of dishes inspired by Portuguese flavours.
Also worth checking out is the hotel's spa, which is almost certainly one of the best in Lisbon, and the Ritz Pool Bar for a lobster roll and a dip in the pool. Abigail Malbon
Kerry MurrayhotelIndependente Comporta
Deep within the Portuguese countryside is this brand new, 40-room, 34-villa hotel, where whitewashed buildings sit in perfect silence, blending into the sandy forests. Independente doesn't want to be just another Comporta opening for those popping in for a long weekend, but a getaway for travellers and locals alike, who want to while away the evenings with a glass of local wine in hand and stay up late to watch the night sky.
For that reason, it immediately non-intimidating. Check-in takes place at the small reception alongside the restaurant, so you can sense the vibe and take in staff prepping for dinner service. By the pool area, colourful dragonflies swoop overhead as music (mercifully, nothing like tacky lobby music) plays from the invisible speakers. It’s an ideal place to spend an afternoon; sun-seekers can recline on the day beds, while there’s a shady escape by the wooden bar, which serves up an inventive cocktail list (the gin-based ones particularly hit the spot on a summer's day). Abigail Malbon
hotelPaço da Glória, Lima Valley
Located at the end of winding hill roads, its Wuthering Heights’-worthy façade – writ in stormy, glittering granite – is an 18th-century baroque beauty. Mock balustrades guard the roof, Grecian beauties peer from alcoves, and an ivy-cloaked stone crucifix stands atop a glowering Gothic chapel. Seven rooms sit along a curved cloister of the house’s old stable block, Meia Lua, with a further two stand-alone studio apartments situated on a lower level. In all, the property can host up to 20 guests.
Downstairs you’ll find an indoor heated pool, while a river perfect for swimming is a short two-minute drive away. Plans for a barbecue space and a yoga deck are in motion but, for now, any arranged yoga sessions take place on the lawn or on the terrace at the front of the house. Facials and massages can be organised. Vineyard visits can be arranged, including a trip to the quaint, family-run Casa da Senra some 10 minutes’ walk from Glória’s main gates. Further away, you’ll find the region’s blustery beaches near Viana do Castelo and – turning inland – the country’s only national park, Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês. Lucy Kehoe
Luis FerrazhotelVentozelo Hotel & Quinta, Douro Valley
This hotel is first and foremost a working farm and vineyard, so a stay here means total immersion into the landscape, history and viticulture of the Douro Valley – interspersed with treks through the hotel’s nature trails, boat tours along the river and dips in a swimming pool with epic valley views. Dating back 500 years, the hotel is one of the oldest and largest farms in the valley – and its dedication to preserving the ancestry of the farm and the surrounding region is visible in every corner. Here, guests come to drink wine, hike around the hills and fully immerse themselves in the nature that is so well-preserved across Douro.
There are seven buildings dotted around the estate housing 29 rooms, including six standalone villas. We stayed in Casa do Rio, a bright and airy house with a private pool. Baby blue walls and sandy-coloured furnishings create a peaceful atmosphere, with fluttering curtains pulling back to reveal green hills tumbling into the Douro River. On a balcony looking over the estate vegetable garden, Cantina do Ventozelo serves regional cuisine using produce plucked from the grounds. The ingredients lead the way: dishes are centred around whatever vegetables have been freshly picked, as well as whatever fish was caught in the river that same day. Olivia Morelli
Courtesy Palacio Principe RealhotelPalacio Principe Real, Lisbon
Indian runner ducks are perhaps not the bird most readily associated with Lisbon’s leafy Príncipe Real neighbourhood, where towering palm trees play hide-and-seek with faded façades, but at this peachy-pink palácio they are everywhere. A couple sit on the counter at the appropriately named Duck Bar, another is embossed in gold on the leather key-card holders and some have even been wrought into the iron railings of the large balconies. ‘We chose them as our logo because they come from Asia like us,’ explain British owners Miles and Gail Curley, who have done stints in Singapore and Madrid. On a visit to Lisbon they fell in love with the 19th-century palace and decided to dive into hands-on hospitality. Gail embraced the challenge of restoring and redecorating the 28 bedrooms, drawing on her own personal style.
Due respect is paid to the building’s heritage with preserved blue-and-white tiles and a colourful arabesque ceiling which soars over one of the beds. But British touches are laid over these details, from the big standalone bathtubs by Drummonds to the Dyson hair dryers. Bathrooms are clad in barley-coloured stone from Sintra and have heated floors and Byredo bottles. Bedrooms come with help-yourself mini-bars – try the ginger health shots – as well as Lisbon-made pink-pepper candles. Breakfast is served in the gardens, in the shade of the jacaranda tree, while the rest of the day can be whiled away beside the huge swimming pool under the cloudless sky. Everywhere there is an overarching sense of generosity – of space, of the owners’ time (Miles has been known to fold his tall frame into his old Renault 4 to drive a guest to the station when an Uber didn’t materialise) – and a warm desire to please. Mary Lussiana
063024022893Six Senses Douro Valley
The wonderful, layered landscape of the Douro Valley is rarely seen so perfectly as at Six Senses Douro, where the river meets the vineyards and there is nothing but space, fresh air and grapes around. First-time visitors to the wine region will enjoy the gentle emphasis on local vinhos here; you can take part in nightly tastings or simply ask for advice when it comes to choosing your wine pairing for dinner at the Vale d’Abraão restaurant, which makes for the ideal cosy setting to enjoy your evening.
As is often the case at a Six Senses property, the spa at the Douro Hotel is perfection; 10 treatment rooms look onto the garden, and guests can indulge in a massage using bespoke oils made from the property's on-site garden or a facial using skin analysis for optimum results. There's also an indoor pool with jets, an ice bath and a jacuzzi, plus saunas and steam rooms to encourage you to embrace the relaxed vibe of the hotel. Abigail Malbon
Francisco NogueiraHospedaria, Algarve
On a narrow country lane framed by rolling meadows stands tiny Hospedaria. Its glossy, pillar-box-red front door makes a bold statement against the traditional whitewashed stone walls. There is a red trim around its windows too, matching the sign swinging gently in the warm breeze that depicts a trumpeter on a galloping horse and announces its former purpose as a post office. The building dates from more than a century ago, during which time it was also a general store and a tavern where locals came to dance at village balls that are still talked about today. Now it is a pitch-perfect hotel created by owners Rui Liberato de Sousa and Nuno Ramos of nearby bolthole Pensão Agrícola. They have preserved not only the fabric of the place but also its spirit.
Step into the original bar with its period tiled floors and industrial lighting illuminating rows of bottles and you can almost hear the rise and fall of voices from yesteryear. In the drawing room, with its high wicker-lined ceilings and oil paintings, the summer heat hangs heavy with history. Yet the whole hotel brims with uplifting energy, dappled by sunshine and borne on the smile of Maria Leonel as she brings bacalhau gratin, made using a recipe from the cookbook of De Sousa’s grandmother, to tables set in the gravelled corner of the terrace. Five simple bedrooms lie among the garden’s fragrant jumble of flowers and fallen lemons, ripe figs and black olives. Each one has varnished cement floors and stripped wooden surfaces; some have outdoor showers, all have private leafy courtyards. There is a pool too, past the lavender. And after a few hours here, away from the hurly-burly of the every day, that will be exactly as far as you’ll want to wander. Mary Lussiana
- Places to StayThe best hotels in the Algarve
- Places to StayThe best hotels in Spain
Lee OsbourneHerdade Da Malhadinha Nova, Alentejo
Back when hotels in the olive-filled plains of the Alentejo, where resident storks still outnumber people, were even rarer than they are today, Herdade da Malhadinha Nova set a benchmark. This smartly restored 10-bedroom farmhouse is surrounded by acres of fields and cork-oak woods roamed by pure-blood lusitano horses, Iberian black pigs and merino sheep. A vineyard has been planted, and labels on its acclaimed wines – freckled cows, zebras and bunches of grapes in thick crayon – drawn by the children of the Soares family who own it. The restaurant, directed by Joachim Koerper of Lisbon’s Michelin-starred Eleven, delivers innovative field-to-fork dishes that use the bounty of the grounds: home-raised beef tartare; Malhadinha lamb with courgette tart and rosemary from the herb garden; cakes made from the farm’s lemons.
In 2020, the family took things to a whole new level by revamping several abandoned buildings around the estate to provide individual villas with in-house dining. Terracotta-hued Casa do Ancoradouro is set up high overlooking the land with a vast swimming pool, games room and seven bedrooms. A sense of place is evident throughout – in the Alentejan antiques, bespoke artisanal ceramics and even pieces such as the heracleum light by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, which echoes the wildflowers outside. But perhaps the best example of the Soares’ passion for detail is found in the two-bedroom Arts and Crafts house, where the walls are covered with clay in a natural olive-green pigment, putting a modern twist on a respected tradition. Outdoors there are horses to ride and hot-air balloons to soar in, but there are also countless corners for seeking out solitude and silence. Mary Lussiana
Manuel Gomes da CostaImani Country House, Évora
Many people who come here are drawn by the Almendres Cromlech, Portugal's most important Megalithic site, which dates from 6,000BC to 4,000BC and is minutes away. Those who return, however, do so for Imani itself, its perfectly round swimming pool, 13 hectares of garden and parkland where the two donkeys, Almendra and Eça, graze and Cat, the cat, roams through the fragrant lavender that lines the cobbled paths. The long drive is flanked by cypress trees leading up to a row of what were once stables and are now six bedrooms with one more up a flight of stairs. It's all very smart. Basins are made from local marble or shiny columns of porcelain; lotions and potions are Hermès Eau d'Orange Verte; keys to the rooms are attached to old cowbells: the look is a striking mix of vintage and modern, reflecting the taste of the owners, Lisbonites José Pedro Vasconcelos and Mariana Roxo (she's a producer, he's an actor and well-known Portuguese TV show host). Graphic-printed rugs, cowhide stools and vividly painted pieces of furniture add punch to the white-walled backdrop and a touch of urban chic next to the wood-burning stoves and rural surroundings. Down the path past the owners' house is the restaurant.
In summer, caprese salads and tuna burgers are served on the black-and-white chequerboard terrace; but in the winter months, the dining room, with its roaring fire, piano, pool table and collection of curiosities, is an ideal retro den. Tuck into pasta con gamberetti and a bottle of Imani's own wine, Improviso, created by acclaimed local oenologist Paulo Laureano. Mary Lussiana
Horácio RodriguesPine Cliffs Luxury Resort, Algarve
This family-friendly spot is perfect for those on a mission to relax on the Algarve’s picturesque southern coast. Just 30 minutes from Faro airport, the cliffside escape is nestled between the coastal city Albufeira – a former fishing village with a vibrant old town – and Quarteira. Combining modern style with authentic Portuguese touches, visitors ambling through the expansive 72-hectare grounds will stumble across white-washed villas and hidden courtyard fountains decorated with hand-painted tiles and murals by local artisans. A sleek elevator brings you from the cool shade of the resort’s namesake pine trees to the white sands of Algarve’s famed Falésia Beach, while those who prefer pool-side comforts have eight to choose from. Golfers can enjoy a nine-hole scenic cliff-top course, whilst the 1,100 metre Serenity Spa offers everything from CBD massages to body wraps made from the powder of the island’s fragrant carob fruits. Flower-enveloped four bedroom villas and self-catering apartments with cloud-like beds and free-standing baths form part of the array of contemporary accommodation on offer, while the resort offers the largest kids club in the region. Food lovers have their pick of 12 different restaurants and bars, the most impressive being the highly Instagrammable cliff-top Champagne Mirador bar, where trees decorated with magnums of fizz frame the stunning views of the Atlantic ocean. Jessica Rach
Francisco NogueirahotelThe Ivens, Lisbon
One of our picks for the best new hotel in the world, The Ivens is akin to a hidden oasis in Lisbon. Taking inspiration from the journey of Ivens and Capelo, 19th-century Portuguese explorers who visited Africa, the entrance sets the tone with tropical plants, parrots, macaws, beetles, velvet armchairs, and golden details. The 87 rooms allude to flora and fauna through notes of colour in the wallpaper and carpets. The in-house restaurant, Rocco, is already one of the best restaurants in Lisbon right now, and a firm favourite amongst creatives, artists, and bohemians.
- Places to StayThe best hotels in the Algarve
- Places to StayThe best hotels in Spain
Tyson SadloReid's Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Madeira
On the craggy cliffs above the Atlantic Ocean lies Reid’s Palace, a distinctively salmon pink hotel that has been luring smart travellers (back in the day it was the place for European royalty) for over 125 years. In 1996 Belmond took over, giving the palace a fresh makeover while maintaining the original essence and charm. Today you’ll find newlyweds, young families and long-time Belmond fans out on the terrace with a fruity glass of Poncha, or dining at the Michelin-starred William Restaurant. The real show stopper is the ocean level saltwater pool, with a ladder and a diving board that lead straight into the water.
Bela Vista Hotel & Spa, Algarve
This 19th-century beauty on magnificent Praia da Rocha was converted from a private house into the first hotel to open on the Algarve, in 1934. Although now hemmed in by concrete monstrosities, it nonetheless retains its prime position on of the best beaches in Portugal, and once you are through the high, wrought-iron entrance gates it is impossible not to get swept up by its century-old charms. The bar and sitting areas in the main building, which also has 11 bedrooms, feel delightfully like a jewel-box, encrusted with old-fashioned artefacts. The original decor includes painted, wooden ceilings and wonderful wall tiles; for a recent refurbishment the acclaimed designer Graça Viterbo has used bold colours and striking materials to create a Miami-meets-the-Mediterranean (via the Atlantic) feel. In the grounds is a six-bedroom villa, Casa Azul, and a new, two-storey extension with a further 20 bedrooms overlooking the chic swimming pool framed by stately palms. A gorgeous L'Occitane spa - another impressive Viterbo design - opened in March, and innovative Portuguese dishes by chef João Oliveira, such as oysters with green tomato and alentejano bread or cheek belly, artichokes with S. Jorge cheese, can be munched on while watching the waves wash in.
Torel Avantgarde, Porto
There’s no shortage of quirky boutique hotels in Portugal’s second-largest city, but few manage to neatly toe the line between unique and gimmicky. Torel Avantgarde, the third hotel from the Torel brand in Porto, gives a lesson in memorable-but-welcoming from the get-go. Unassuming from the outside, the lobby opens up to a plethora of local art; walls made from cork (Portugal is the world’s-biggest exporter of the material), sculptures from Portuguese artist Paulo Neves and, of course, a ceiling covered in flowers – often described as ‘the most Instagrammable room in Porto’, if that’s your thing. Personally, the view of the Douro river was what made me want to whip out my camera for the money shot; perfectly framed by the one of the hotel’s two outdoor swimming pools, the second of which is new and was built during renovations which added 11 new rooms and a spa to the property.
For the best lookout, book one of the hotel’s Executive Royal rooms, with bathtubs so big they could almost moonlight as private pools, and balconies made for sundowners. The hotel’s restaurant, Digby (named after Sir Kenelm Digby, inventor of the modern wine bottle, of course) serves up a delicious set lunch menu; don’t miss the shrimp and mussel starter with a moreish curry dressing, paired with wine from the nearby Douro valley. If you do manage to make it out and explore Porto – fast-overshadowing Lisbon as Portugal’s city break destination – you’ll be glad to know everything is within walking distance; although comfy shoes for the many hills are strongly advised. By Abigail Malbon
Quinta da Comporta, Comporta
Until recently, there’s really only ever been one hotel worth considering in this region of drowsy fishing villages and surf shacks, and that’s a place called Sublime. Now to rival is this spot, created by Portuguese architect-designer Miguel Câncio Martins (Buddha-Bar in Paris). Paths wind through the sandy landscape, passing white, barn-like buildings – many of them former grain stores – that overlook the patchwork paddy fields and slim swimming pool. Their interiors match the landscape and are purposefully neutral, dominated by huge, reclaimed beams that were shipped over from Canada, and complemented with low-hanging, rope-tied Balinese lampshades that fill the double-height spaces. Bedrooms have a beach-house feel, with rattan rugs, more of those lampshades and lots of wood and wicker. The rooftop bedroom has two terraces, one that catches the morning rays, the other with views of burnt-orange sunsets over the fields. Portugal’s rustic Alentejo may seem an unlikely area for a full-blown spa, but the one here has ambitious plans to use rice much in the same way that French-based Caudalie has done with grapes. The ingredient is infused into treatments such as the lavender foot bath, and the hotel is creating its own products, enriched with rice-bran oil, which is very good for skin and hair. There are plenty of grains on the restaurant menu, too, including its own-brand Black Pig gin – try it in a cocktail made with passionfruit and honeycomb – and puffed crackers flavoured and coloured with squid ink, saffron and beetroot. And an organic garden will soon be adding to the kitchen’s harvest. This is a next-level arrival that never loses sight of Comporta’s breezy, sand-in-its-hair spirit. See the full spa review of Quinta da Comporta Tabitha Joyce.
- Places to StayThe best hotels in the Algarve
- Places to StayThe best hotels in Spain
JF JaussaudQuinta Da Corte, Douro Valley
When French winemaker Philippe Austruy first bumped along this estate’s dusty, semi-paved track back in 2012, he fell for it on the spot. The sun-scorched vineyards were so primitive only pickaxes and horse-drawn ploughs could tame them; the white, ochre-yellow-framed stucco quinta – standing in solitary splendour on the edge of a UNESCO-protected hillside – had been left to crumble after a drawn-out inheritance battle. Austruy enlisted slick, Paris-based architect Pierre Yovanovitch to transform the low-slung, 19th-century building into an elegant rural hideout without altering any of its original structure. His eye for detail makes the result feel deeply rooted and authentic, with custom-made, slim-limbed colourful sofas, alabaster light fittings and brushed-metal lamps jumbling up with vintage rotary phones, musty editions of Proust and Brecht and pretty ceramics hanging off turmeric-orange walls. The eight bedrooms are examples of still-life simplicity: wicker chairs; light from slatted shutters bouncing off textured plaster; recessed niches filled with jugs of wild flowers. On the veranda, the inky-blue slither of pool hovers over the sweep of mottled-green vineyards. And there’s a functional Scandi punch to the new winery, a stark-white cube jutting out of a bluff below the main house. After snaking along the river in flat-bottomed wooden boats or exploring nearby port houses, gather for porto tónicos before family-style suppers of lemony grilled octopus and traditional cozido meat stew. Just a two-hour drive from Porto, this is the sort of spot a smart crowd visit for a lo-fi recharge; a slow-paced long weekend after an urban hop. Teddy Wolstenholme.
Torel 1884, Porto
On the other side of the street from Torel 1884, a moustachioed man occasionally steps out of a workshop fringed in blue tiles and props a freshly varnished cork board on the pavement, quietly standing guard while it dries in the sun. Porto is one of those rare cities in Europe that actually makes things; it takes its time. But cranes are stalking the horizon. At the start of the millennium, its historic centre was almost a ghost town; these days its façades are being reclaimed. Case in point is this hotel, a former palazzo and bank that now stores wine in its vault. Torel’s owners launched their first outpost in the city a couple of years ago, high above the Douro River, filled with Pop Art flourishes and with a ceiling of silk flowers. This sequel is more neoclassical, a high atrium opening up the interior as if it were a doll’s house. Its designers celebrate the Age of Discovery, the period of seafaring, map-pushing adventurers – the spirit of which inspired the gawping, sculpted heads lining the entrance. At the top is a library with coolie hats, books on Java and Rimbaud and the kind of wooden floor you want to skid across in socks. In the middle are bedrooms where jade green, rattan and velvet evoke Africa, Asia and the Americas; tiny strips of banana leaf lining the bathroom walls of one mezzanine space, a portrait of a woman smoking actual paintbrushes in another – one of many textured, mixed-media works by local artist Jorge Cuval. At the bottom is a bar and bistro with ceiling fans and little ceramic dishes for just about everything. This feels like a private house with drawing-room hush and broad horizons. It’s just a short walk down to the river, where those voyages began, the reflected neon of the port houses trembling on the water. Rick Jordan.
Gonçalo Miller3HB Faro, Faro
This is a first for Faro – finally, a glamorous place to stay in the Algarve's capital. The rooftop terrace and horizon-edge pool look out over the city's pretty terracotta-tiled roofs and white-washed buildings to the Ria Formosa lagoon beyond. Time a visit to the top-floor Hábito restaurant to arrive as the sun sets over the skyline, or to the top-floor private bar to sit around the fire pit gazing at the stars. If you tire of the sun, there's a cool of subterranean spa area – or ask for a spa bath on the balcony of your teal-and-copper room for added decadence. Antonia Windsor
Da Licenca, Alentejo
Here is an arthouse film of a hotel. The narrative concerns a Portuguese fashion insider who meets a Parisian actor turned gallerist, escaping to the countryside before they both hit 50 and transforming a run-down farm into a sprawling estate of sail-white villas. Jean de Florette meets Jules et Jim. Owners Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau spent weeks here, sleeping in an unheated hut, observing how the light fell, before breaking ground on the project. There are flashes of Ibiza and Santorini in the architecture, of Africa in the red earth. Boardwalks zig-zag around; portholes are punched into walls, framing disks of farmland and wisps of cirrus. The pool mimics a James Turrell installation – a true reflective circle surrounded by stone. In the rooms are echoes of Forties Mitteleuropa, staged by Laigneau’s singular collection of Jugendstil and Rudolf Steiner designs. There are lions formed with twists of rope; ceramics protruding like octopus tentacles; Arts and Crafts dressers with tortoiseshell edges. The small marble tables were designed by Borges, who wanted to prove just how flexible the stone can be and recruited a local craftsman to chisel it into a bath, a project that took two months. Outside, sparrows bounce between olive trees; glockenspiel sheep bells clang. Time shimmers. One woman came with no car but armfuls of books and read them all, staying three nights then another three. The isolation is a little deceptive, though. The city of Estremoz is just down the lane, its winery producing bottles that land on the table here. Not far is hilltop town Evoramonte for teetering views, and Evora’s Roman ruins. Dá Licença is an auteurs’ project that gives a real sense of perspective amid the Alentejo plains. Rick Jordan.
- Places to StayThe best hotels in the Algarve
- Places to StayThe best hotels in Spain
Casa da Sao Lourenco, Serra da Estrela
On the map, the road to the town of Manteigas is a tangled wriggle-squiggle amidst the big-bouldered ambush country of Portugal’s high-chaparral interior. Here, clouds smudge the hillsides, folk tales are still spun and in a brick-built village warehouse, machines clatter and throw out never-ending spools of brightly coloured twine. This is turned into a wondrous woollen felt known as burel, woven so tight it can repel water, then snipped and clipped and sewn into all sorts of designs. What’s all this to do with hotels? The woman who revived this factory also set her sights on two pousadas, or hotels, on the ridge above the valley. The first is wood-cabin cosy with lacquered walls; but the second, originally a Forties build and opened last year, is a paean to felt. The textile appears in patterns on walls, in tufts on ceilings, and in the cascade of little stars that dangle in the restaurant. The former lobby has been lined in it, ruched into hundreds of little diamonds to create a contemplative dome with a wood-burning fire. It’s tactile, never smothering, and set against pale, Shaker-style timber etched in simple motifs. Jaunty, Scandi-style chairs are set beside windows with thousand-yard stares over the valley. The casa empties out in the day; some guests scrambling over rocks with resident guide Luis Cunhal, who points out villas built for consumptive Victorians prescribed mountain air. And only the incurably uncurious would forego a trip down to the factory. They return to the scent of wood smoke from the four-sided fire, and artfully rustic plates of croquetas and game. There’s a swimming pool that flows outside, steam rising against the tree line, and fleece blankets to huddle in on terraces while peering into the dog-bark night. One of the highways leading here is the N2, Portugal’s Route 66. It’s a country made for road trips: here’s a mighty fine place to park up. Rick Jordan.
L’AND Vineyards Resort, Alentejo
In a region where black pigs still roam free under oak trees and storks nest on ancient bell towers, a striking new hotel has opened in a series of low-slung, white, modernist buildings set among vineyards. The warm, earth-toned interiors by Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan are dominated by wood and slate, with bespoke pieces such as a distinctive bench by George Nakashima. The 22 wonderfully spacious L'AND View and Sky View rooms emphasise the natural, with wooden-slatted walls, raw textiles and huge baths crafted in slate. The technology is up-to-date, with iPads and iPod docks; in the Sky View Suites, ceilings roll back electronically to reveal the starry night sky. In the restaurant, chef Miguel Laffan uses great local ingredients - sheep's cheese, porco preto horse mackerel - to produce sophisticated knock-outs, such as shrimps encrusted with threads of batter. The sommelier hosts tastings of the vineyards' own, very drinkable red Reserva and there is a restful Vinothérapie Spa by Caudalíe.
Areias do Seixo, Costa de Prata
Tired of never finding a hotel they liked, Marta Fonseca and Gonçalo Alves set about creating one, 30 minutes' drive north of Lisbon. They wanted it to be environmentally friendly, and small enough to feel like a home. With an unerring artistic eye, they have incorporated driftwood from the beaches into their designs and built around trees where necessary (my bathroom had an olive tree in the middle of it) in 14 bedrooms which use geothermal energy and solar power. Each is decorated differently: some suggest Marta's maternal Cape Verde home, others the African savannah. All have polished cement floors and pebble walls, soft quilts and open fires or wood-burning stoves. From your private wooden deck you can gaze at the distant blue ocean. The warm atmosphere created by the owners emanates throughout the hotel. It is reflected in the home-cooked food served in the bare-board-chic restaurant, the campfire evenings when guests can gather as Marta plays the guitar, and the honesty bars. There is a garden, a greenhouse where lemongrass is grown for home-brewed tea, a swimming pool and a spa. A private path takes you across the cliffs and down to the beach. Magical.
Rodrigo CardosoOutpost, Casa Das Arribas
Built for a wealthy family in the 1940s by influential Portuguese architect Raul Lino, this white-on-white estate – high on a cliff in the old seaside village of Azenhas do Mar – lay abandoned for 15 years until it was modishly revived by its German owner Chris Kraus two years ago. Outpost is now a collection of six cool, clean-lined apartments set in a tropical garden staring vertiginously down to the Atlantic Ocean, while the midnight-green forests of Sintra-Cascais Natural Park creep up behind. Most have views on at least two sides, plus polished-concrete worktops and exposed ceiling joists. Original terracotta tiles, stone fireplaces and robust, locally made wooden furniture give the place an air of rugged refinement (and parents a sense of relief that there’s nothing too obvious for the children to smash).
In summer, the hotel is filled with fresh-faced, outdoorsy European families. A shared tennis and basketball court, gym, swimming pool, spa and store cupboard stocked with skateboards, games and yoga mats keep everyone on their toes, meaning young ones are adequately exhausted by bedtime. Massages and fitness classes can be arranged, as can childcare – especially useful for a quick grown-ups-only day trip to Lisbon (about 45 minutes away). But with its hypnotic scenery and soothing, stripped-back interiors, it’s easy to stay put at this crazy–good-value new hangout.
- Places to StayThe best hotels in the Algarve
- Places to StayThe best hotels in Spain
Francisco NogueiraImmerso, Ericeira
Ericeira is best known to locals as a surfing town, but this quiet corner of Portugal, about 45 minutes north of Lisbon, also feels like a slice of paradise. So, it makes sense that you'd want to stay somewhere overlooking the jewel in the crown: the beach itself. Immerso is perfectly placed – high enough to feel remote and peaceful, but with impeccable views of the ocean and beyond. Every room in the hotel makes the most of its tranquil surroundings with floor-to-ceiling windows, but it's the ones overlooking the water that feel most special, with beds placed to look out as you wake (it's a rare occasion when sleeping without the blackout blinds is heavily encouraged, in order to catch a glimpse of the sunrise).
The vibe here is chilled-out; whether you're poolside or having lunch with a view, it's clear the clientele are staying for pure zen; helped by the on-site spa, which offers massages and facials. Food is served up by chef Alexandre Silva with a focus on fire cooking, and both the lunch and dinner menus are relatively small – after all, why should you have to make any difficult decisions during your stay? If it's relaxation you're looking for, you'll struggle to find better. Abigail Malbon
Noah Surf House, Casa de Prata
A sleepy village overlooking a beach pounded by Atlantic waves doesn’t scream child-friendly destination. Yet under-the-radar Santa Cruz, north of Lisbon, has quickly established itself among in-the-know parents. That’s in no small part due to this hip eco-hotel designed by the couple behind gorgeous Areias do Seixo a few miles away. Noah exhibits the same artistic flair but with a more industrial aesthetic. Rooms are in the main house or boxy wood-clad bungalows, their roofs tufted with grass, and kids love the bunks suspended by cables with rope ladders.
If conditions are too rough off Santa Cruz’s 11 beaches, head north to buzzing Peniche or south to pretty Ericeira, some of the best beaches in Portugal. In terms of design, bare bricks and chunky furniture are offset by fishing nets, octopus traps, even an upturned boat – this artful flotsam and jetsam reflects a determination to repurpose. Sustainability extends beyond the styling: instead of air-conditioning, thick walls keep rooms cool; rain water is collected and food composted; 70 per cent of energy for hot water is generated by solar power; and everyone is given metal water bottles to reuse. This is somewhere to teach kids good environmental practice, as well as surfing. The modern way to holiday.