CASA DO VALLE

  Colares Wines are unique for various reasons:     They are some of the oldest wines in Portugal, dating back to year 1255 A large part of the vines grow deep in sand dunes – a detail that protected them from the 1865 phylloxera plague  They get their special taste from the harsh coastal climate (westernmost vineyards of continental Europe) And most recently: the world famous chef Gordon Ramsay just featured the Colares Wines in the National Geographic program Uncharted, calling the wine ‘one of the best kept secrets of Portugal' (Watch the trailer here ) ! Colares wines are some of the oldest wines in Portugal The Colares wine region is the smallest demarcated wine region of Portugal (DOC Colares).  The wine culture goes back to 1255 when king D Afonso lll ordered wine to be planted.  Supposedly the Ramisco vines came from northern France, Boulogne region, where the king had previously lived.  A large part of the Colares vines are grown in the sand ...

Enter the New Year in meditation - relaxed and in harmony with yourself and Nature. The retreat is the perfect time and place to: • Rewind, slow down your daily rhythm and reconnect with nature; • Unplug and appreciate the beauty of Nature; • Rediscover yourself through Mindfulness; • Improve your physical and mental health through Shinrin-Yoku; • Relax and feel energized; • Strengthen yourself and feel your inner peace; • Start the New Year with a peaceful and calm mind and an energized body We have designed this retreat to slow down and waken our senses, connecting to the natural world through yoga, shinrin yoku, meditation and kirtan. OUR LOCATION: Located in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, in the Historic Center of Sintra, a Unesco Cultural Heritage Site, Casa do Valle is surrounded by breathtaking nature and views both to the valley and to the mountain. Sintra Mountain is known for the perfect harmony between its natural beauty...

Santa Claus and his elves are back in Sintra as we get closer to Christmas: the Sintra City Hall shows solidarity by organizing the Christmas Kingdom in the central Liberty Park in favour of families and animals in need. At the same time, in the middle of the Historic Center an ice-skating rink, a carousel, Christmas market and gospel choirs will be the center of attention. A proper elf-greeting at the gates of Liberty Park The Christmas Kingdom will open on the 1st of December at 3 pm as Santa Claus will arrive escorted by motorcycles! The land of elves and fairies welcomes you to join in the activities, games, concerts and wonderful food until the 23rd of December. Even though most of the activities are meant for children, adults will certainly enjoy the the sites of the wonderful park turned into a winter wonderland! Although the visit is free of charge, non-perishable food items or small money donations to buy food are accepted at the entrance for families and ins...

Hiking in Sintra and its surroundings is wonderful. Though the most sought after trails are the ones that lead us to the monuments, there are paths for everyone's interests and capabilities. The hiking trails to the monuments avoid the roads and motorized traffic.  Some access-paths are signposted, other paths are marked with the international hiking signs, some are not marked at all, as they pass in the Natural Park of Sintra-Cascais and even through private grounds. The main areas for hiking are the mountain and Sintra village, the coast and the countryside. There are paths everywhere!  You may want your hike to be circular, where you leave from and arrive to the same spot.  Or you may prefer walking along a linear path, using a local bus or a taxi or the old Sintra tram to return.  You can make your hike short or long, passing by villages or beaches - or simply stay in areas where you are not likely to see anyone else.  Not used to off road w...

Summer has finally arrived, with temperatures over 30ºC in the afternoons! The temperature rise coincides with the holiday period of the southern Europeans, which means that crowds will be thicker. We have many suggestions for you to make your visit in Sintra more enjoyable! Here are some of them.  Remember that more will appear, and we will keep you posted through Facebook, and of course the information board at the reception. First of all, Sintra is full of fabulous historically and culturally important monuments and most of them are well visited.  There are also some that are less famous but equally interesting.  Do you really want to see them all? Is Pena Palace really what you want to see is its fairy-tale park what you were imagining? Are you more interested in walking in the nature than seeing art? Choose well where you want to go and let us help you if you are not sure what Sintra has to offer - believe me, it's a wide variety of things.  That is one of...

To start our outdoor activities at Casa do Valle this summer are Yoga classes!  Starting the 25th of July (and continuing on all Wednesday afternoons at 530 pm), Cátia Pereira will lead us to relaxation after a busy day out, preparing for a good night sleep in a rested body. Cátia is a 'lisboeta', meaning born in Lisbon. She enjoys teaching yoga with a focus on breathing techniques and mindfulness.  She was certified in India, having traveled to Thailand and Australia, where she took wellness training courses, including massage therapies such as Ayurvedic massage, Thai massage and reflexology. Cátia believes cultivating yoga is a profound body, mind and soul expression, while the Universe and the alignments of the planets and stars influence each one of us. She teaches Hatha, Vinyasa flow,  yoga Nidra, and Meditation and also leads meditative walks. Other activities to start in the beginning of August are special massage days and guided hikes, such as walks to th...

This spring and beginning of summer, the question we have answered the most to our guests is 'What's with the weather?' Or 'Is this weather normal here this time of the year?' Mostly we answer 'No, it's not normal' or 'Well, there is really nothing we can do about it'. It really has been much colder and wetter than 'normal'. In March it rained 4 times the normal average amount, and it was the second coldest March in the history of Portugal (since the measurements begun). It HAS been cold.  It HAS rained a lot. Yes, we still have heaters on in the rooms in JUNE! Unheard of! But it is not raining continuously. Luckily it is nothing you cannot cope with, with a coat or a sweater. As we are entering the month when summer officially begins, we keep hoping that the morning shower of each day will be the last one. And we also keep hoping that the fall will be like last year - beautiful weather until the end of November! To me the wea...

Thinking of whether to bring a car to Sintra? Think well before you do.  Here are a few things for your consideration: The most visited monument in Portugal is the Pena Palace on the Sintra mountain, in  the middle of Sintra-Cascais Natural Park.  The Moorish Castle is right next to it, and the National Palace and Quinta da Regaleira are in the Historical Center of Sintra.  These 4 monuments alone have an average of 3.000.000 visitors a year. The Historic Center of Sintra is like any other Historic Center - narrow streets, many one-way streets, almost no parking and LOTS of tourists on foot, in busses, in their own cars. Only, unlike most Historic Centers, Sintra is not closed for traffic. Yet. And most rental cars are with manual gears. In the summer months people spend up to 2 hours in a queue during the last few kilometers to get to Sintra or passing through it.  Add to the normal chaos, the works in the water lines that the City Hall is doing during ...

During your escape to the green hills of Sintra, complement your stay at Casa do Valle with our wellness offers. This summer, to make the most of your stay with us, we have developed a special program for our guests, together with our expert Lena Lönnbäck. Having Sintra as scenery you can enjoy a relaxing or invigorating massages, walks in the less known paths of the Sintra mountain, and renew your energy with a fitness session, ranging from calm and relaxed stretching to stamina building exercises. You can even have a one-on-one health promotion consultation with our expert, Lena Lönnbäck – more about Lena at the end of this blog. Free Wellness Activities: Guided morning walks in the mountain, to the palaces and around the neighbourhood, 2-3 days a week Exercise classes , 5 times a week, including:          Stretching and core strength            Functional Training         ...

Massage is the best way to finish off your day after a day on the mountain or walking the sites. It is also a wonderful way to start a day to wake up your muscles after a solid night of sleep and a healthy breakfast.  Come to think of it, massage is also a great way to spend a lazy, relaxing day thinking of nothing but yourself!  At Casa do Valle, we work together with Joana, Inês and Patricia from Spirit Massage, who come to massage our guests either in the comfort of their room or in the garden, as you wish! You can book your massage before you arrive to make sure it fits perfectly into your schedule - just send us an email to info@casadovalle.com to book! Here are some suggestions for you: DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE WITH GRAPE SEED OIL                                 The Deep Tissue Massage is especially indicated to aid in the recovery of lesions, to eliminate muscular pains an...

Portugal’s Salvador Sobral won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest with his song Amar pelos dois . This slow waltz captured the hearts of all of Europe and finally gave Portugal its 1 st win ever in the history of Eurovision.  The singer, Salvador, took part in the idols of Portugal in 2009, at 19 years of age. Though he was among the best 8 contestants, he did not win, and stopped music all together for years.  Only when he was doing his Erasmus studies of Psychology in Maiorca, did he restart performing – and soon changed his studies to jazz, in Barcelona.  The song he sang in this year’s Eurovision was written by his sister Luisa, also a singer and songwriter. Salvador missed the first rehearsals in Kiev due to a heart condition that does not allow him to travel for longer periods. Yet he sang into people’s hearts, with skill but more so with feeling.  And so after having been in the last position 3 times, and the best result ever reached by Portugal...