We welcomed the New Year at Casa da Hera and found it well-appointed and full of character. The location is great - close enough to the city centre, but not right in the hustle and bustle of it. The neighbourhood is quiet at night (apart from New Year's Eve), and has a lot of local colour. There are two good, affordable restaurants practically on the doorstep, plus a grocery store and a laundrette a short walk away.
We enjoyed cooking in a large, well-equipped kitchen for a change, and appreciated our host's welcoming touches like a bottle of delicious port wine, coffee, tea. The bedrooms and bathrooms are roomy, with ample space for clothes and suitcases. The house itself is quite interesting with shiny wood floors, a spiral staircase and a beautiful skylight at the top.
Many thanks to Sara for quickly and ably responding to a few logistical issues at the beginning of our stay, and for her prompt replies to our questions about the city.