Organic Farm Stays: Portugal (2021)

Herdade dos Grous, near Beja, Alentejo, Portugal, is a luxury hotel on a 1700 acre organic farm estate that produces award winning wine and olive oil and has an outdoor swimming pool in the extensive gardens, and an artificial lake on the farm. THE ACCOMMODATION: They have a range of top class suites and rooms, all of them with private bathroom, minibar, WiFi and satellite TV, plus the suites have a spacious seating area with an open fireplace. There is a high quality restaurant and bar on site which serves the finest local food plus all of their own award winning wines, and a snack bar open throughout the day. Or guests can entertain themselves playing tennis on the estate’s courts, playing billiards or table tennis, or going for a swim in the pool followed maybe by a visit to their sauna where massages are available for an extra fee. THE FARM: This huge estate has a fully working farm, breeding Alentejo cattle, merino sheep and of course horses. The provide horse riding lessons and guided trails around the estate and the surrounding countryside, which you can also tour by bike with bike rental from the hotel. They have extensive vineyards and olive groves too, that allows them to produce their own Herdade dos Grous award winning branded wines and olive oil. Guests are welcome to tour the estate and the winery, and to take a look at the production of the wine and olive oil, along with tasting sessions of both. Much of their produce goes in to their wonderful meals and you can also buy some to take home from their on-site farm shop. THE LOCATION: The farm stay is just south of Beja in the centre of Portugal’s Alentejo region. Alentejo is the country’s undoubted rural heartland and particularly famous for its cork and wine. The cork trees here actually produce half of the world’s supply and its wines though still not completely mainstream are growing in popularity and its wine tourism industry has also been developing quite rapidly in recent years, with the help of estates like Herdade dos Grous. The region is not on the mainstream READ MORE

This lovely organic farm stay is just 6km from the beaches of Lagos, Algarve, Portugal, and has B&B accommodation in an early 19th-century traditional Portuguese farmhouse. THE ACCOMMODATION: Their rustic style rooms are all hotel standard; clean, comfortable and spacious with en-suite bathroom and flat screen satellite TV. Most rooms have also a balcony or a terrace giving nice views of the nearby Algarve hills, and the Monchique Mountains to the north. There is a very good restaurant at the farmhouse too which serves up a range of organic Algarvian and Portuguese specialities, some of the ingredients of which come fresh from the farm, and on some summer evenings they also organize barbecues and traditional Portuguese ‘churrasco’ evenings in the garden. THE FARM: The farmhouse is surrounded by extensive, beautifully tended gardens and a small organic farm which has horses, goats and pigs, as well as various vegetables and over twenty different types of herb. Much of the farm produce ends up in the above mentioned excellent organic restaurant. There is a natural botanical swimming pool there too, and all around you’ll find plenty of space for sunbathing and outdoor dining. TTHE LOCATION: Though just 6km from some of the Algarve’s most popular beaches the immediate area around the farm stay is peaceful and rural. You’ll find the village of Odiaxere like all the small villages in the area to be slow paced and traditional, and with a whole different character to the mass tourist resorts of the coast. Horse riding trips around the countryside, plus various other excursions and tours, can be arranged at the Quinta. The nearest airport is Faro, 85 kilometres away, and transfers to and from there can also be arranged. WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY: “Vibrant colours, peaceful vibes. Close to nature, great for escaping the urban life yet close enough to the city center….” “Very pleasant stay, very silent and relaxing, nice location, exceptional breakfast!…” >>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE REVIEWS & TO BOOK YOUR STAY AT QUINTA DAS BARRADAS: READ MORE

This very popular organic & eco-friendly farm stay is just outside the city of Lagos on Portugal’s Algarve coast, with the nearest beach, Meia Praia, just four kilometres away while Faro airport is about 60 km. The farm produces a large range of organic fruit and vegetables in the fields and gardens, which you can buy for cooking at one of their self catering cottages, all of which come with a fully equipped kitchen, a lounge area with a flat screen TV, and a double bedroom and bathroom. They also have a small terrace at the front and outdoor seating space overlooking the gardens and the surrounding countryside. Apart from the beaches of the Algarve, the area around Quinta das Seis Marias is great for exploring; you’ll find plenty of places to go hiking and cycling, and you can hire bikes for free straight from the farm. WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY: “Beautiful environment and comfortable accommodation. Able to pick herbs, tomatoes etc. right outside the front door….” “Fantastic! The hospitality, the place, the breakfast. It was amazing. They are doing everything to make it comfortable for you. Quiet place, close to the beach and the city….” >>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE REVIEWS & TO BOOK YOUR STAY AT QUINTA DAS SEIS MARIAS:   READ MORE

Quinta Do Mel Agroturismo is a peaceful and tranquil rural retreat near Portugal’s Algarve coast, and within easy reach of the cities of Albufeira and Faro. THE ACCOMMODATION: The farmstay can offer a self catering apartment plus a range of B&B rooms. All the rooms are super comfortable and clean and come with air con, WiFi, TV, private bathroom and under-floor heating, while the the self catering two bedroom apartment has all that plus a spacious lounge and kitchen. Outside there is a swimming pool in the gardens and plenty of space to relax with a seating area and sun loungers. THE FARM: There is an extensive eco-friendly organic farm at Quinta do Mel which breeds sheep and grows cork, fruits, vegetables and herbs and is now in its fourth generation of family ownership. The owners are enthusiastic about organic and eco-friendly farming techniques and are always happy to show guests around. They serve a great breakfast which is available at any time, and other good food and snacks can also be ordered throughout the day, many of the ingredients of which come straight from the farm including their own home made herbal teas and jams. THE LOCATION: Though very near Albufeira, Faro and the tourist masses of the Algarve, the farmstay and its immediate surroundings are very much peacefully rural. Most visitors never get to see this side of the Algarve but those that do find it a rich experience. The area, between the coast and the mountains of the north, is known as the Baroccal and it is classic Portuguese farming country with small white walled villages, rocky hills, fruit orchards and rolling plains of cork, olive and almond trees. The village of Alte is a nice example, and it’s just a short drive north of the farmstay. It has a nice setting in the foothills of the Serra do Caldeirão mountains, is known for the little springs (fontes) that run through the village and makes for a nice day out with plenty of cute cafes and small shops to visit. Having a car or a bike is a good idea in this area as public transport isn’t very widespread and READ MORE

Very near Coimbra, the 5 star Quinta das Lagrimas is part agroturismo, part Royal Palace and part luxury spa hotel, and had been a quiet sanctuary for Kings and Emperors for centuries, before recently opening its doors to paying guests.  It is also the place where one of Portugal’s most infamous love stories took place; the story of Pedro & Inês. This was the XIVth-century love affair between Prince Pedro and Inês de Castro which lurched, as they all do, from deep romance to deep tragedy when Inês was murdered on the orders of King Alfonso, Pedro’s father. This famous story inspired the name of the property; Quinta das Lagrimas/The Estate of Tears, and these days it offers superb luxury in a setting that is uniquely atmospheric and compelling. THE ACCOMMODATION: There is a great choice of B&B rooms and suites, ranging from more standard doubles to superb, top of the range, suites. Even the most ‘basic’ of rooms though are lovingly styled and come with a real touch of class. It is a five star hotel and you can expect the best in comfort and facilities but Quinta das Lagrimas differs in that it is a grand, stately property with a romantic, cultured, air that is impossible to find in more modern hotels. It is a joy to just wander around and soak in the atmosphere. Add to that the extensive botanical gardens outside with so many rare plant species from around the world, the excellent spa facilities, the indoor and outdoor swimming pools, the nine hole on site golf course and the two award winning gourmet restaurants, and you really have a break to remember. The seasonal restaurants serve up organic food that is locally sourced as much as is possible, ‘ Market Cuisine’ they like to call it here, but with much of the herbs, vegetables and fruits being sourced even closer, on the grounds themselves, picked fresh from the organic ‘Chef’s Garden’. THE LOCATION: Quinta das Lagrimas is just outside the charming university city of Coimbra, in the centre north of Portugal, roughly half way between Lisbon and Porto. Coimbra was once Portugal’s capital and has an enormous READ MORE

The consistently highly rated Agroturismo Vinha do Gaio is an organic, family run, farm stay just north of Lagos & Portimao on Portugal’s western Algarve coast.  It lies on the slopes of the Monchique Mountains and there are some tremendous views of the surrounding countryside and the sea in the distance from Portimão to Sagres. The farm has sheep, donkeys, fruit orchards and vegetable and herb gardens. THE ACCOMMODATION: They have six B&B rooms in the uniquely designed, eco-friendly, farmhouse. There are a few rustic touches but generally the interiors are that of a quality modern hotel. Their rooms are clean and comfortable and they all come with a little outside terrace from which to enjoy those lovely views. You’ll be treated to a great fresh Portuguese breakfast in the morning and you are welcome to tour the farm where the friendly owners will be on hand to show you around. Overall it is a place to relax and recharge; the surroundings are beautifully peaceful and the place has an isolated feel. There is a little village within walking distance though, called Casais, which a couple of shops and a friendly local bar. There are no restaurants there though the bar can provide snacks and the agroturismo owners can also provide evening meals if given a bit of notice. THE LOCATION: It is just beside the above mentioned village of Casais and north of Portimão and Lagos in the hinterland of the western Algarve. About ten minutes away by car along the winding mountain roads there is a the pretty market town of Monchique, which like the agroturismo is also in the Serra de Monchique, the forested mountain range which separates the Alentejo from the Algarve. There is some great hiking to be done around here with some great views to be enjoyed of the plains and the sea to the south, and to the west; over the peaceful, nature filled, Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina. The journey from Portimão should take less than a half an hour with Lagos being a little more. The nearest international airport is Faro, just over an hour away. WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY: “The house is beautifully READ MORE