This villa is full of character and was really a unique experience. It is not perfect - it is a traditional well-loved family home. It is comfortable but not flashy.

The outdoor area is great, with a large and interesting garden, a beautiful view, fruit trees, lovely barbecue area tiled with azulejos, and a very nice and refreshing swimming pool. Children will need supervision of course (no pool fence). There is a big secure garage with lots of space. The house inside has a great dining room and nice sitting room.

The kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms are those of a family home that has been used and loved for years. As long as you understand and expect this you will be fine - they are not new. They are functional. The house needed a bit more cleaning, it's not perfect, it's like a family home not a hotel.

Sandra's family met us and made us feel very welcome with some local advice and showed us around the house. Sandra's mother left us some wonderful food and local produce and fruit as a welcome package.

The village is attractive and very small and there is just one tiny shop and two restaurants. (We expected this, so it was no problem. There is a big supermarket at Cadoval which is only a 15 minute drive if you need it.)

The one big PROBLEM which was a disappointment was the village church bells. You might think this sounds nice and traditional and romantic but they are not even real bells, the church has a loudspeaker in the tower which plays a recording of bells. Every 15 minutes. Day. And. Night. By the fourth day it was really enough. It made it hard for us and our baby to sleep. If you are a heavy sleeper perhaps you won't mind but light sleepers like us might find it quite disturbing.

Sandra was responsive and helpful although we did not meet her in person. Thank you for a very authentic Portuguese village experience!