Casa do Terreiro do Poco

Rooms

The house’s 15 rooms are scattered all over: in the garden, at the front, in the main house and in the neighbouring converted winery. Owner João imports antiques and has raided his collection to furnish the rooms. Some even have their own frescoes too.

The four most recently refurbished, and some of the grandest, are on the first floor of the restored winery at the far side of the garden. All have amazing artefacts, state-of-the-art bathrooms, sitting rooms, and use of a shared lounge on the ground floor. By comparison, we found the smaller Balcony room less impressive as it was very dark, with older facilities and very little WiFi connectivity during our most recent visit.

We loved Ethnic (twin or double) with its exotic animal theme, Chinese painted furniture and tiger-skin-design bedcovers (shower only); and Decadent, with its four-poster, vibrant furnishings, and corner-bath and shower. The most opulent is Golden Suite with a printed Chinese screen and lamps, and sizeable bathroom with both corner-bath and shower.

For quirky, choose the newly restored Kitchen Room, including the original winery kitchen in the corner (with 21st-century fridge and microwave) and antique kitchenalia including pans and a stove.

History of art buffs will adore Tower and neighbouring Little Boys at the top of a frescoed staircase near the entrance, both of which have original 19th-century frescoes and antique ceramic tiles in their bathrooms. Oratory’s frescoes are even older; marvel at them in its antique-furnished sitting room.

The small 2-storey suites - known as Nana’s House and Rosária's House - are at the front. You enter from the public garden and step into tiny sitting rooms with well-concealed kitchenettes (microwave, kettle , fridge). There’s also a lovely garden-facing room with disabled access and facilities.

Features include:

• Fan
• Minibar
• WiFi

Eating

Breakfast is served in the converted wine cellar leading off the garden. Help yourself to freshly-squeezed orange juice, baskets of freshly baked sourdough bread, Rita's homemade jams (including her famous quince jelly), plates of ham and local cheese, and eggs if you want them.

For dinner, we’d suggest you wander into town to one of the many simple restaurants nearby where you can try the local cuisine. Owners João and Rita can provide recommendations.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Fridge
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Borba is a lovely and lively town. It’s known for its chiefly for its antique shops and wines. João and Rita will help book you onto a guided tour of the town’s Adega de Borba winery, which includes a tasting of their wines. It is also one of the great marble towns; take the road south and you pass the quarries. Keep going for a couple of kilometres and you come to Vila Viçoca, a must-see. This was the country seat of the Dukes of Bragança, the last ruling family of Portugal. The palace here is the Portuguese equivalent to Versailles.
  
  
• Join one of João’s cookery classes, held in the winery kitchens below the four new rooms. Class theme and length is negotiable (minimum group size 8). João also organises wine tastings on request.
  
  
• Estremoz is a fine example of a provincial country town, with a famous market on Saturday mornings. It attracts only a little interest from tourists and is all the prettier for it. It’s a garrison town and one of the region’s seven hilltop settlements. Estremoz marble is extremely pretty, thus a stroll about the Rossio, the town’s square, is quite a grand affair.
  
  
• Head south from Borba to a string of interesting towns and villages: Alandroal, Terena, Reguengos, then glorious Monsaraz. Beyond you’ll find Alqueva, Europe’s largest, and newest, lake. It’s manmade and provides water for the Alentejo. You can canoe, sail, ski and swim
  
  
• Bicycles can be rented for a small, hourly fee - potter around town, take to the hills, drop in on the vineyards, sample the wines

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Cycling
• Historical sites
• Kayaking
• Sailing
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Traditional cultures
• Wine tasting

Kids

Children are welcome and will enjoy the swimming pool.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Toddlers (1-4 years), Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

We suggest you opt for the Patio room, which has an adjoining twin room sharing its bathroom (bathtub, no shower). Most rooms can fit in an extra bed or baby cot.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Supermarket: Local shops available
• Hospital: 40 minutes (Evora)
• Airport: 2 hours (Lisbon)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Casa do Terreiro do Poço is in the village of Borba in rural Alentejo, about 160km east of Lisbon and 50km northeast of Évora in Portugal.

By Air:
Lisbon Portela Airport (160km) is the closest. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving it.

From the Airport
You will probably want to hire a car to explore the region and to get here from Lisbon - see our car rental recommendations.

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

More on getting to Portugal and getting around