Areias do Seixo

Povoa de Penafirme, Lisbon Coast, Portugal
Book from GBP Book from £211 per night

A stunning eco-hotel near the ocean dunes just 45 minutes from Lisbon, with romantic rooms, glamping 'shelters', a spa, and a fantastic restaurant

A stunning eco-hotel near the ocean dunes just 45 minutes from Lisbon, with romantic rooms, glamping 'shelters', a spa, and a fantastic restaurant

Upmarket eco design has been around for a while, but Areias do Seixo blows everything we’ve seen out of the water. The 15 romantic rooms are blindingly unique, taking the colours and designs of India and Africa as a starting point, and blending them with modern minimalism and imagination to create beautiful colour schemes, extraordinary mod cons and irresistible bathrooms. There are beds framed with driftwood; warm gold Chinese cabinets; pod-like woodburners suspended from the ceilings, and burnished silver lamps. Those wanting to be closer to nature can try the 'pine shelter', which takes romantic off-grid glamping to another level - think copper bathtub, desert lanterns, skylights for bedtime pine-gazing. And there's also a separate cluster of swanky pool villas, each sleeping 4-8.

Wherever you stay, make the most of an on-site restaurant and bar featuring the hotel's (delicious) organic produce, an Ayurvedic spa, an outdoor pool and a decked path leading to sand dunes and the Atlantic. Service is effortlessly impeccable: we were greeted on arrival with irresistible homemade cake and fresh lemongrass tea (from the garden, naturally). How better to begin your stay in one of Europe’s most original hotels?

Highs

  • The décor is sensational, with rich colours and textures, and stunning ultra-modern fixtures and fittings
  • Eco concerns are high on the agenda, with energy monitoring, eco schemes, photovoltaic solar panels, recycling, composting and more
  • Nature pervades everything - the wood and pebbles in the interior design, the pine trees and sand dunes beyond - and gives a sense of calm
  • The relaxed but attentive service put us at ease straight away
  • The location is quiet and unspoilt, but you're within easy reach of Obidos and Lisbon if you need a city fix

Lows

  • Although it's close to Lisbon, you'll really want to hire a car to get here and get around
  • The hotel is the destination, which is another way of saying that there isn't much to do in the neighbourhood
  • Land rooms do not have a sea view, while Shelters are a WiFi-free zone
  • We have serious trouble pronouncing the hotel's name (areeas doo sey-shoo). How about you?

Best time to go

The Costa da Prata is a good year-round destination. March and April are lovely, May and June are ideal, July and August can be very hot and it's warm through to September for swimming in the sea. Thanks to the hotel's woodburning stoves, you'll be snug here in winter, too

Our top tips

Don't miss Peniche, a walled fishing town 30 minutes away with fantastic seafood restaurants and a 16th-century fortress overlooking the Atlantic.

Great for...

Beach
Eco
Romantic
Spa
  • Eco Hotel
  • 15 rooms
  • Restaurant and bar (open daily)
  • Over 16s only
  • Open all year
  • Outdoor Pool
  • Spa
  • Beach Nearby
  • Pet Friendly
  • Disabled Access
  • Car recommended
  • Parking
  • Restaurants Nearby
  • WiFi
  • Air Conditioning
  • Guest Lounge
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Gym
  • Concierge Service
  • Bicycles Available
  • Electric car charger
Room: Love Room

Rooms

All of the accommodation options exude the same sense of natural luxury and eye-catching aesthetics.

The hotel rooms combine modern Scandinavian-inspired minimalism with Indian and Moroccan chic. Expect rich fabrics, bright colours, chaise longues, polished concrete and show-stopping lights. Each has a private patio or deck, indulgent toiletries, a wood-burning stove or fireplace, and a geothermal heating / cooling system; some have jacuzzis or tubs. There's WiFi but no TVs (unless you ask, of course). The Land Room is huge (but lacks a sea view); Love Rooms are large and particularly lovely; Tree Rooms a tad smaller (one is wheelchair accessible; a couple have the option of twin beds). All of them are stunningly original in design.

Our favourite rooms include vast Oxalá ('If Only'), with its Jacuzzi, double shower, mezzanine, and a large terrace framed by the deep blue of the Atlantic; and Nha Cretcheu , with its insanely beautiful bath, its glass lanterns suspended like tears, and its driftwood-framed bed. Both of these are Love Rooms. Of the Tree Rooms, Três Desejos (where we stayed) has a lovely lemon, cream and grey palette with clean minimal lines, a huge suspended woodburner, an antique gilded armchair, and floor-to-ceiling windows opening to a small deck with table, lawn and storm lanterns.

To get closer to nature with your loved one, grab the Pine Shelter. Set among the trees on the edge of the dunes, this is about as luxurious as glamping can be. You get a super-comfy queensize bed, a freestanding bathtub, and a cosy fire pit for romancing under the stars. Bliss.

Features include:

  • Bathrobes
  • Hairdryer
  • WiFi

Eating

The hotel's restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and serves a selection of Portuguese-inspired dishes using its wood-fired oven and charcoal grill. There are also vegetarian choices, and all menus change on a daily basis according to what is available and fresh; there are a few options every day and everything we ate was delicious. Breakfast is served as a decadent buffet and includes fresh fruit, regional produce, cheeses and homemade cakes, plus eggs to order.

The hotel also has a café-bar, open from 1pm-1am, where you can order tea, homemade sweets, appetisers and snacks, and room service is on offer to all rooms. Guests are welcome to join the team every evening for a glass of wine at 7.30pm around the fire. There is also a more casual beachfront restaurant, Noah, which guests can get to using the bikes or complimentary shuttle service.

Much of the food comes direct from the hotel's organic garden. Keen foodies can enrol on a morning 'plot to plate' experience, where you'll work with the gardeners and chef to make your own lunch. They are also keen to share advice and inspiration about agriculture, fishing and local regional cooking. The on-site store sells tea, olive oil, wine and artisan products.

For a change of scene, drive out to one of the various recommended restaurants nearby: Xakra and Tasca do Joel in Peniche or Clube Naval in Assenta.

Features include:

  • Bar
  • Farm shop
  • Organic produce
  • Restaurant
  • Room service
  • Vegetarian options
Eating:
Activity:

Activities

  • Relax in the hotel, walk on the beach, swim in the sea, eat in the restaurant, then take a glass of wine out to the fire circle and watch the stars in the inky sky
  • Swim in the spa pool, then unwind in the sauna and Turkish bath - access is free. Or book a massage and pamper ritual at the spa. It specialises in Ayurvedic treatments and also does massages, facials and body treatments, as well as half-day programmes
  • Borrow the hotel's bikes and explore independently
  • Join a yoga class – times will be chalked up in reception
  • Book one of the hotel's experiences. We like the look of 'Your hands in the sea', a fishing/mussel harvesting morning after which you cook your own lunch, as well as the 'plot to plate' experience working in the organic garden and kitchen. You can also do farm, spa, eco and compost experiences (most are charged extra)
  • Head to the beach and learn to surf or paddle board at the hotel’s own surf school
  • Spend an afternoon or evening in Lisbon. Portugal's capital is only half an hour away by car; explore the Design Museum and Gulbenkian modern art galleries, then stop for an espresso and a custard tart. Nightlife doesn't get going until gone 10pm in the city
  • Spend an afternoon in the well-preserved walled medieval town of Obidos, 25 minutes away, with its winding streets and whitewashed houses
  • Play golf at 1 of the 3 courses nearby: Praia D'El Rey, Bom Sucesso or Campo Real

Activities on site or nearby include:

  • Cooking classes
  • Cycling
  • Fishing
  • Golf
  • Historical sites
  • Museums / galleries
  • Nightlife
  • Plantlife / flora
  • Swimming

Kids

No under 16s are allowed in the hotel.

Families may prefer to stay at Areias do Seixo Villas (sleeping 6-8), which are located just across the road from the hotel and have access to the facilities on site. There's also sister beach hotel Noah Surf House just down the road, which welcomes all ages.

Kid Friendly:

Location

Areias do Seixo is south of Peniche on the west coast of Portugal, about 45 minutes north of Lisbon.

By Air
Areias do Seixo is a 45-minute drive north of Lisbon airport, along the coast. The hotel can arrange transfers. Alternatively you can hire a car or take a taxi. The hotel is not accessible by public transport.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Portugal and getting around

Airports:

  • Lisbon Portela 46.0 km LIS
  • Oporto 300.0 km OPO

Other:

  • Beach 0.2 km
  • Shops 3.0 km
  • Restaurant 3.0 km

Our guests' ratings...

Based on 7 independent reviews from i-escape guests

10/10
Room
10/10
Food
10/10
Service
9/10
Value
10/10
Overall

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Rates for Areias do Seixo

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