Casa O Refúgio

This is a remarkable house, very unassuming and homely, sat between luxury renovations. With two full bathrooms and a big sofa, plenty of tables and chairs to eat, and a big garden, it's good for a family, if one person doesn't mind sleeping in the dining room, but that's part of the character. Our host was incredibly friendly, spoke excellent English, and gave us a rundown of all the sites on the island. But the best bit (apart from the view of the sea from the terrace among the bougainvillea) is the swimming pools right outside the back gate. Yes, it does get busy in the afternoon... but in a nice way! And you can pop down first thing in the morning and have the pools and the fish pretty much to yourself. It's a good location for exploring the island, with a fantastic pizza place (Pizza Al Taglio), a very friendly neighbourhood restaurant, a bougie sourdough bakery (Pão com Alma), and a big supermarket for everything else.

It may be inevitable in such a humid country, but the house does get a bit musty - perhaps it hadn't been aired for a while? (You stop noticing it very quickly.)

Emplacement idéal. Logement grand, propre. La vue et l’accès direct sur l’océan et ses piscines naturelles sont formidables même si nous n’avons pas pu en profiter la journée, faute de place, le lieu est très prisé et petit. C’est plus calme en soirée.