Best Farm Stays and Vineyard Hotels in Northern Portugal

Quinta do Rocha is ideally placed for a relaxing break in the heart of some of Portugal’s most lovely countryside; the northern part of the country’s largest vineyard region; Vinho Verde. They have B&B accommodation in a beautiful old mansion farm house, surrounded by vineyards and orchards, which has been in the same family for generations. It is beautifully situated on a lightly wooded hillside with an outdoor swimming pool in the gardens, and the views all around are really quite stunning. THE ACCOMMODATION: The house is large and has a great range of rooms to choose from. All of them are double or twins, though there is one unit which consists of two connecting rooms that can sleep up to four people. They are all classic style, rustic and romantic, and have a nice air of old fashioned opulence. The entire house in fact, feels somewhat from a different, much more grand, era. There is lots of space both inside and out, and you can spend your days by the pool or exploring the orchards and vineyards and in the evenings enjoying a drink on the terrace, which will doubtless include some of their own home grown Vinho Verde wine. And you will be treated to a great breakfast every morning with fresh fruit juice from the farm’s own orchards. THE LOCATION: The Vinho Verde wine region takes up much of Portugal to the north of Porto and is the country’s largest wine growing region. The countryside around Quinta do Rocha, to the north of Braga is surprisingly under visited by foreign tourists, being as it is somewhat over-shadowed by the more well known Douro Valley just to the south, but it is a gorgeous terrain of forests, hills, meandering rivers and of course vineyards and a joy to explore for those who take the time. And for real wilderness we’d recommend a trip to the Peneda-Gerês National Park, just to the west of Quinta do Rocha, along the Spanish border. It has numerous hiking trails through forests and hills that are home to wolves, deer and golden eagles. WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY: “Comfortable rooms, large clean swimming pool, READ MORE