House – External
At the back of the farmhouse is the old grain house where the feedstock for the animals was originally stored. The upper floor has been restored and converted into a large games room with table tennis, mini-football, pool-table and card table – with magnificent views over the valley and vineyards it is a very nice place to write, read or just relax – though it can be a little noisy at times !
The games room also contains a cupboard stocked with videos, books and board games which can be used by all the guests
The games room building backs out onto a large west-facing working area with a large table / bench seating eight (8) to ten (10) people, with its own bar-b-q.
The area is dominated by a Espigueiro, a traditional maize storage building, where the farmer would normally have stored his summer maize crop which was thebasic food-stock for the animals. The Espiqueiro is built on large pillars with open sides allowing the sun and wind to dry the crop and keep it fresh during the winter.
This area is a favourite place for an evening bar-b-q or pre-dinner aperitif – it is particularly pleasant in the early evening as the sunsets over the valley are beautiful in the summer months – it is also a nice place to relax as the winds coming up from the valley keep it rather cool.
On the other side of the Quinta is the swimming pool area, which is set in a landscaped garden alongside a fruit orchard with many olive trees, some of which are as old as the Quinta. The gardens are well maintained and provide a nice shaded area for relaxing.
The size of the swimming pool is 13×7 metres and 0.50 to 1.70 metres deep and is regularly cleaned and serviced by an independent company
The pool is surrounded by a traditional stone area,which is reserved for sunbathing and relaxing – the area is quite large and there are separate areas for different family groups to relax in private with an adequate number of sun-beds and umbrellas. There is also a Bar-b-q with tables and chairs in the pool area.
The gardens and orchards are a particularly pleasant area to relax with seating and play facilities for all ages, especially younger children – for the more athletic games such as badminton, football and cricket are available on request.
The garden area is open to all the house guests and can be used for sunbathing and relaxing – the area is quite large with many trees and bushes so wherever you choose to locate yourself it will be quite private and self-contained.
Water mill
The farm has a very unique traditional water mill, now restored, which provides water for the gardens and vineyards – the mill is a very nice place to sit and relax and provides a ranquil picnic and reading area.
The mill is set at the back of a small field adjoining the house – there is a gate from the house to a path that goes around the field to the mill with maintained gardens and flowerbeds.
The field itself is used mainly for growing maize for the local farm animals but it also has an active organic vegetable area which we use for providing vegetables and fruit for the house and its guests – depending on the season there will be an ample supply of locally grown produce and if you ask the maid or gardener they will willingly provide you whatever is ripe for eating during your stay.
