We have had a wonderful stay of 6 weeks in “Quinta da Oliveira”, an undisturbed, little wineyard on sloping, green hills with beautiful views over the mountains and a nearby dam/lake. This historic, but yet modern building is spacious with almost everything, you can wish for, and the areas and terraces outside are great for enjoying a sunny day.
However, the greatest feature and experience is the lovely hosts, Anabela and João, paying visits every now and then with special portugeese cakes and bread, grilled sausages, walnuts, firewood, sardines, wine, gifts and entertainment for the kids or offering small excursions in the mountains. We even had an opportunity to participate in the harvest of grapes and nuts with locals and visited the cooperative wine production facility afterward. Also, we went on public hiking tours along with 30 to 100 locals, allowing us not only to see the spectatular surroundings, but also to meet the freindly and helpful people of Portugal. Another interesting event was a celebration of the corn harvest in the city centre nearby.
We do recommend having a car here as you need to go to Vale de Cambra to shop for groceries etc., but it also allows you to visit a lot of beautiful places, e.g. waterfalls and geosites in Arouca. We also did a lot of swimming at river beaches nearby, but not in walking distance. Sometimes the roads are small and narrow, the climbs steep and slopes deep, but that is, I guess, what to expect in rural mountain areas. A bit scary at first coming from a flat country, but as long as you dont drive too fast, everything will be okay.
We absolutely recommend this AirBnB.