Special Places to Stay - More than a bed for the night

Life is unhurried here. Donkeys pull carts, sheep meander through villages and the bakery is the top place in town. Tucked between the Açor and Estrela mountains, above the river Alvoco, the quinta has a timeless feel that Dutch owners Hans and Josephine have done little to disturb. An 18th-century water mill and olive mill make up their home, and the distillery has been converted into apartments. Compact and unfussy, they are furnished with modern pine and terracotta, bright beds, sofabeds and curtains, wood-burners, perhaps a veranda with a mountain view; one lies by the patio so you can sit in the sun as the children snooze. Walk through pine and eucalyptus forests, canoe and swim in the river; in winter there's skiing in the Serra da Estrela. Spot otters on the lovely riverside walk to the village, return to a pretty pergola and a fenced pool, raise your glass to the stars with only the rush of the river to disturb the peace. There's a communal living space and a lovely big patio surrounded by hollyhocks and hydrangeas, with a summer kitchen and a barbecue, too. And a sauna is on its way.