Soalheira Douro House

Absolument tout : la maison est superbe, immense, hyper propre, totalement fonctionnelle, au calme, avec un parking gratuit à ... 2 mètres dans un cadre juste idyllique : la vue est magnifique. Et Paula, notre hôtesse, est aussi une "perle" : incroyablement adorable, serviable, gentille, souriante, d'une excellente humeur permanente très communicative : que du bonheur. Mille mercis encore.

Rien : tout était parfait.

Der Ausblick ist phänomenal. In der Nähe von Pinhão gelegen, kann sehr schöne Ausflüge ins Douro Tal, aber auch nach Vila Real (Mateuspalast) unternehmen. Paula, die Vermieterin, ist sehr hilfsbereit und warmherzig.

We chose Soalheira because we wanted to stay right in the Douro Valley, somewhere with a real rural atmosphere rather than somewhere very touristy. And it was exactly the experience I was hoping for. The drive there was incredible. The landscapes took my breath away almost immediately. The narrow winding roads were new to me and definitely required some concentration, but I actually enjoyed that too. It felt like part of the adventure. The house itself is very spacious, modern, extremely comfortable and absolutely spotless. Everything you might need has been thought of. Paula has also put together an incredibly detailed guest book with information about where to eat, where to buy groceries, places to visit and things to do in the area. That level of care really stayed with me. The terrace and the area around the house were probably my favourite part. The views over the hills and vineyards are extraordinary. There is a small terraced garden around the house with vines and fruit trees, including orange and pomegranate trees. I loved simply walking around it and taking photographs. And having a completely private pool in that setting, especially in the August heat, was wonderful. We spent our evenings on the terrace with wine. A little lizard who apparently lives there came out every evening, and I ended up naming him Gennady. In the mornings, one very enthusiastic local rooster would wake up and set off a whole chorus of replies from the neighbouring roosters. It was funny and felt very much like part of real village life. One evening a thunderstorm came over the valley and we watched it from the terrace. Seeing the lightning illuminate the hills and vineyards was one of those moments I know I will remember. Paula is an incredibly warm, open and welcoming person. We visited Paula at the nearby café where she works, and she made us a fantastic salad. We arrived just before the vindima, with the valley intensely green and the vines heavy with grapes.

Fantastic views of Douro valley. Spacious bedrooms. Nice outdoor seating and dining areas.

No WiFi. No iron or ironing board. Difficult to get taxis as not many operate in the area and location is approx 4 miles along a main road from train station at next village. (If you have a car it’s not a problem.)