A weekend in the Alentejo, by Diane Evans

From A Janela, the publication of IWP the International Women in Portugal

I felt I must pass on our wonderful experience in December 2006 of a dream self-catering property in the Alentejo.

I was lucky enough to meet up with a charming lady at the IWP Activities Fair last September. Someone had told her that our family was interested in walking and I was fascinated to hear that she had put together a variety of walks with trail maps in and around the area of their Quinta.

The Quinta Azenha do Ramalho is situated in the Parque Natural da Serra de Sao Mamede in one hectare of private land. We took the opportunity over one of the long weekends in December, created by the National Holiday conveniently landing on a Friday, to visit this beautiful and remote area. Having just collected a stressed husband from an evening business flight into Lisbon, which had lost his luggage (again!), we took about 2.5 hours from the airport to drive to the Quinta, which is just outside Portalegre. We had arranged to meet up with good friends from here in Cascais with whom we were sharing the quinta.

We arrived in the dark but you could tell from the terrain that we were driving through thick forestation into something of a hidden valley. Our friends had already arrived and been welcomed by Catherine and Chris, the owners of the property. On entering the property you are immediately struck by the warmth of welcome the house provides. When I say these owners have thought of everything you could possibly wish for in a self-catering property, I make no exaggeration.

In common with many families with small children, my husband and I have rented self-catering properties on holiday for the ease and flexibility they allow parents with children - no rigorous meal schedule and no worries about waking other hotel residents with wakeful babies! We have rented in a variety of countries, usually to walk or ski and in all the years we have been doing so, we had never experienced comfort like this.

To give you an idea of the things the owners have thought of, they include, big fluffy white towels in your bathrooms, lots of welcome food items including fresh fruit and wine, every single kitchen utensil even Delia Smith could think of as being necessary, candles to add to that cosy, relaxed atmosphere and a scrupulously clean house throughout. One of my all time big disappointments in self-catering accommodation has been the lack of any decent sharp knife! Is it just me or do owners deliberately set out to wind up their unsuspecting guests by making sure it is impossible to cut either an onion or a loaf of bread without completely ruining both the food item and your humour for the day? Not so in this kitchen! Everything has been provided to ease the production of food for two hungry families at the end of a day's hiking.

The Quinta has four double bedrooms, a large sitting and dining area with an incredibly efficient wood burning stove, two modern bathrooms and a large wooden terrace running the length of the house. I would imagine in summer that the terrace is just idyllic for sitting and enjoying the sunshine in absolute peace with only birdsong to interrupt your daydreaming. Although the weather was wintry when we visited, the Quinta is equally appealing for anyone who wants to just shut the door against the cold, stoke up the wood-burning stove and enjoy a good bottle of wine (or two!) with friends.

The walking around the Quinta is beautiful and was perfect for families with young children. The owners have thoughtfully explained the routes with clear landmarks that made them easy to follow. We did a circular walk that began from the Quinta on the first day of our stay and then visited the medieval walled village of Marvao on the second day to do a more challenging walk.

Marvao is a stunning sight as it is perched on rocky crags high above the flat plains of the region. The castle dates from the 13th century and is apparently one of the best-preserved castles in Portugal. After dipping down into the valley our walk climbed steeply and ended outside the castle walls. From this point you can literally see for miles. We watched the sun setting over the mountains in Spain some distance away.

Although we visited the property for just three nights we would love to return for longer perhaps when the weather is warmer. Normal letting periods are for full weeks. Catherine tells me that in the spring the meadow beside the Quinta is full of brightly coloured wild flowers. For anyone wishing "to get away from it all" this is surely the perfect location. It is secluded and gloriously unspoilt and apart from a very enthusiastic group of Portuguese Scouts, we met hardly anyone on our walks.

There is a particularly good website which is really worth a visit at www.azenhadoramalho.com for anyone who would like to find out more.

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