Herdade da Matinha Country House & Restaurant

This is our 3rd (or 4th?) stay at Herdade da Matinha over the years. It has grown and changed, but kept the wonderful simplicity and farm-stay (not your usual, ‘comercial’ resort!) feeling that make it such a special place. Don’t be put-off by the dirt road - it’s a rural setting, the road is well kept and good enough, and you wouldn’t want to spoil the area with yet another tar road in such an important ecological spot. The road to Praia do Malhao is much worse but you shouldn’t miss it either, by the way! Besides the 3 sweet dogs Gina, Paz and Dino (who will disappear at night ), there are at least two cats, horses, sheep roaming in a nearby fence and some wild animals if you are so lucky to spot them. This was a bonus point with my kids. Also, it’s very safe for kids - my boys loved wondering about with a map to explore every corner. The 3 pools (one for adults only) have comfortable decks with shaded areas. Our bedroom was a ‘family farmhouse deluxe’ - simple, no TV, but spacious enough for a mother with two young kids. Breakfast is good - many options available also upon request. Dinner was very good most days - great improvements here since our last stay. Even the kids’ meal is now proper food; tasty, healthier and better balanced! My only suggestion would be to offer a choice of salad to replace the soup (even for children) and a choice of fruit to replace the desert (to help reduce the sugar intake for people staying for longer periods). It’s a set menu (with a vegetarian option), but it worked fine for us. I find laundry too expensive. No ironing is available… There’s a new art gallery in the Herdade as well - be sure to check what’s going on there. Finally, everyone is super nice, cheerful and professional. Thank you all for your commitment. We’ll be back, hopefully!

Charming farmstay located in Alejentoan hills. It’s great to just relax with a book by the pool and listen to the birds and bumblebees in the blossoming orange trees, with the hotel dogs laying by. The grounds are not kept as spotless as in five star resorts, but for me, this just adds to the feeling of genuinity. The 3 km gravel access road is the same kind that you will find all over rural Europe. We had no problem driving there with a small Fiat 500. Our room was located close to the main building. It was modern, nicely decorated, clean and had a small terrace. Staff were helpful and nice. Breakfast was really good, with freshly pressed orange juice, eggs/omelets by order and a nice selection of cheese and pastries. Dinner in the restaurant was a four course set menu that changed every day. For 38€, it was quite good value with a nice selection of Portuguese dishes, tastier than dinner we had in five star resorts for twice this price (but still not at par with some of the better restaurants in Lisbon). Not everything was perfect, though. The last night of our two night stay, we were playing chess and drinking wine and beer from the bar in the lounge area. Suddenly, at midnight, we were asked to leave and go to our room immediately because they “had to close and lock the main building”. It felt a bit strange to be told, as grown up guests, to go to our room. I would also be nice if such information could be provided a bit in advance. When we got back to our room, there was a strange smell in the direction of mould/sewage. I might have been from AC/ventilation or the plumbing. Reception/main building was closed at this point. Around 5 in the morning, we were awakened by dogs running around on the premises and barking loudly. This went on for more than 1,5 hours without any apparent staff intervention.

This place is committed to the Alentejo Life. Its authenticity and the fantastic food are captivating. I enjoyed vegetarian dishes and was spoiled with home made ice cream. The managers are very friendly and will go the extra mile for you. I will be back soon!

The staff is superb, every single employee we have encountered was super professional and always with a smile. However I would like to highlight the following points: - to arrive to the hotel you need to drive for 4km off to a dirt road - dont bring you own car if you care for it - the hotel public areas are not taken care of, full of spiderwebs and dirt. Smells of humidity everywhere - there is no pool service at all, no food, no drinks and you need to go to the reception to get your own towels - food is average and highly overpriced, options are very limited specially in the evening. - we found ourselves with absolutely nothing to fo within the herdade, unless you want to go for a trail - the room was ok, not worth 180€ per night. Smells like it’s been closed for years and housekeeping staff is so loud. I would not go back

Sumptuous accommodation on every level, beautiful pools and stunning public areas set in a tranquil rural setting. Dinner was of the table d’hote variety - one starter, main and dessert which was ok if nothing exceptional. The house white actually recommended by our server, a first, was not only relatively inexpensive but pretty good on the palate. Breakfast was excellent with plenty of choice from pancakes through eggs or cold meats with fresh orange juice or whatever combination required. Faultless. Our room was in a separate accommodation block of 8 apartments a short walk from the main building in what could loosely be described as a shipping container but the similarity ended with the structure. Inside, a massive and insanely comfortable bed, deep pile carpet and powerful shower completed a beautiful room which was metres from a well appointed pool area. My only complaint - and for me it is a serious problem - is the access road to the property, a 2km dirt track that no doubt shortened the lives of my rented car’s tyres considerably. Driving up and down this monstrosity raised my blood pressure as well and cancelled out much of the chill experience the hotel os designed to engender. If you love your car do not under any circumstances bring it here. That said, a great experience and highly recommended.

Head of the table, trickling pond Towering cypress a dog's come and gone Sturdy old construct older than me Lighting like moonlight soft and hazy Cod with potatoes black pork with clams straight up Alentejan sure feels like my jam --- In a glade- a vale a hollow a valley a sloping pasture More home to the silence and the wind than me Hills -an anchor to keep you from sliding- down through the silence of memory. Roses yawning off the dew --- Birds exploding from trees Tempura shrimp with black linguini in a cream sauce Distant dogs shout at distant dogs Black pork with carrot