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...

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...

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...

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         ...

Millions of years ago (125 million to be a bit more exact), large dinosaurs roamed in Sintra. Plant eating Saurôpodes and Ornitôpodes as well as meat eating Terôpodes, all about 2.5meters tall only until the hip, walked on these lands way before the Sintra Mountain was a mountain. We can now observe their footprints, some of which are a humongous 67cm tall and 60cm wide. Observing the path of the prints, we know that the vegetarian Saurôpodes with its elephant-like large body, long neck and small head walked between 6 to 7 km/hour, and the Terôpodes who walked on two strong legs, of which only three of the four toes touch ground, about 2 kms/hour.  It is fascinating to see the three distinct types of footprints, all different sizes, and all well conserved, on the vertical cliffs of Praia Grande do Rodízio. There are a total of 66 foot prints , 51 of them are in 11 tracks and the rest are isolated. The footprints are clear to see rom the stairs  The dinosaurs ...

Praia da Ursa (Updated in January 2021)  Sintra is not primarily a beach destination, but it does have some great beaches.  Golden sand, beautiful round stones, and magnificent cliffs.  Surfing, tanning, walking.  Great restaurants, dinosaur footprints, paragliding, and fishing. Attention though - the beaches are Atlantic beaches, so the water is not as warm as the Mediterranean ones in the Algarve - and the waves are stronger and more dangerous as well. The long Atlantic Walk (GR11)   passes on the cliffs over all of these beaches.   I will start from the Southern most beaches and work my way up.  Here is a short 2-minute introduction video to the beaches: Praia da Ursa - (Our cover  foto) The double arches resembled  a bear, giving the beach its name (Ursa=Bear) The southernmost of Sintra beaches got its name from a double arch that used be on the beach resembling a bear sculpted by a giant. The beach is accessible by foot only, o...

The Castle of the Moors as seen from our garden (Updated in January 2021) Looking up from our pool toward the mountain, next to Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle is erected.  Well, it looks like it's right next to it but in fact it is not.  They are both up the mountain, on different hill tops.  The Moorish Castle winds over two ridges of the mountain. It is gorgeous in the morning when the day breaks and the mist comes through; gorgeous during the day with fantastic views to the other side of Lisbon, to Mafra and to the sea; and gorgeous in the night with the humidity rising and the birds calling. The Castle in sunrise A BRIEF HISTORY The Castle was constructed during the 8th and 9th century, during the period of Arab occupation of the Iberian Peninsula.  After Afonso Henriques' forces conquered Lisbon in 1147, the castle voluntarily surrendered to Christian forces.  A small group of people inhabited the Castle and constructed a chapel of São Pedro de ...

Sintra is perfect for walking; spring, summer, fall and winter.  Take it from me, I usually take at least an hour's walk 5-6 times a week in the mornings, every season.  When I can, I take longer walks, and most often I am accompanied by my  now two-year old Great Dane Pandora.  Dog or not, the roads and mountain paths are safe.  I just like to walk with her to have company and someone to talk to! I will be writing in this post very generally, intending to write more in detail later about some of the paths, with more pictures.  Just hoping that this will inspire you whilst planning!  Some general information first. The views from near the Moorish Castle are rewarding The nature is magical here The first important point:  we are on the Sintra mountain .  There is very little straight to walk.  In addition to lots of curves, it is hilly.   In some cases lots of steps and even climbing.   Second point, there are not ...