Mariana’s house is a beautiful, peaceful place to stay and we had a great time in and around Colares. The house itself is very stylish and all the rooms were really well appointed - everything we needed was there and there were lots of nice touches. There was plenty of space for the four of us and my parents, who stayed in the annex by the pool for a few nights - they appreciated having their own space away from the kids! The outside space is well designed too, with lots of seating areas to catch the sun. The pool isn’t heated, so unless it is really hot weather (it wasn’t perfect when we were staying unfortunately) then this might a bit too cold for some, but our 7-year-old was more than happy to have a splash around when the sun was out. And it can get pretty cold in the evenings too, so the log fires and heaters in the bedrooms were much appreciated.
We were big fans of the Colares area itself too. You’re not that far away from Lisbon (40mins) for a day / evening out, the beach (5 mins) for a play in the massive Atlantic waves, or Sintra (15mins) for a wander in the incredible palaces and gardens. Some of the local restaurants recommended to us by Mariana were fantastic (especially Azenhas Do Mar), there’s a decent little supermarket and churrasqueria in Colares just a short drive away for some basics and larger shops in Sintra town. Mariana’s house was a great base for us to explore the area from and we’d definitely recommend it to others!