If you love the beach, seafood, sound of seagulls and taking walks along the beach, you may want to consider this out-of-town location. It is well situated near the beach in Matosinhos as well as walking distance to bus and metro. The metro takes you quickly (approx 30 min) to downtown Porto or take bus 500 along the ocean. There is a grocery store (Lidl) nearby. The location offers a spacious penthouse with elevator access.
The dwelling has a lot of potential and could be a full 5 star rating; however, it requires some loving care and maintenance. We selected this location because it offered a large balcony which is something we look for in hotels or rentals. Unfortunately, the balcony was far from what is shown in the photos and was not suitable for use. The patio doors were covered with seagull droppings and require a good wash. The floors and kitchen counters could also use a good cleaning prior to the arrival of guests. We observed ants which appear to come in from the small bathroom skylight. They would join us at the breakfast table which may be a hygiene concern for some people.
We kept the window open at night since there was no air conditioning available, which resulted in a few mosquito bites. We did not realize that there were mosquitoes in Porto. As mentioned earlier, the apartment itself has a lot to offer and would look great with a fresh coat of paint, some repairs and thorough cleaning. For instance, the bedding had permanent stains from previous use; consequently, we decided to use a blanket on top of the linen to sleep on. Interestingly, a sort of alarm would come on at night from one of the nearby residence, with a high pitched beeping sound that never stopped and would wake us up at night. The use of a fan may have helped in this situation by allowing us to close the window.
Since there was no dishwasher detergent, we purchased and left some items such as dish-washing liquid, dish-washing cloth, piri-piri sauce and olive oil for future occupants. With some tender-loving care, this location would be a great “get-away” spot when visiting Porto.