We visited with friends, as two families of five. We had a broad range of children aged from 2 to 18 and there was plenty of space for us all to stay in comfort. The photos don’t do the pool and grounds justice, it was even better than we had expected! We didn’t hire a car but you do need a vehicle to get around. The metro is excellent and only a ten minute walk away and it’s very easy to get around by taxi with Uber. The beaches are excellent with fantastic surf. Don’t forget your wetsuit as it is the Atlantic! It is a family owned property and the help we received in planning our trip was exceptional. The welcome gifts provided us with a taste of Portugal and were a sign of the warmth of hospitality that we received throughout our trip.

We absolutely loved our stay 29th July-5th Aug. We were a family of 8 - 5 adults and 3 kids. The Villa had everything you could need. The welcome from Joao was perfect and he even took the blokes to the local shop so we could get our essentials even though our flight had already been delayed. The welcome hamper was awesome and the hosts really do go above and beyond. We had fantastic days in the pool and awesome meals out in the local area and further a field. I would recommend hiring a car if you are considering it. We didn’t have a car and the local village was walkable and the metro was easy to get to but the local roads have narrow footpaths. Hiring a car definitely isn’t essential and we had a fabulous time without one. We used a Uber a couple of times and it was cheap to do. My mum has had a knee replacement so on the odd occasion we ubered instead of walked. We would recommend going to the local bakery (every morning for breakfast! Just around the corner), visit the local village, visit Vila do conde and visit Porto. We ate at some lovely places but our last night we went to Guia in Vila do conde. The meal probably cost the same amount as the rest of the week (food prices are really really reasonable) but it was worth it for the view and great food. The best bit of the whole holiday was definitely chilling by the pool and watching the kids play in the spectacular grounds. We will definitely be back. Thank you.

Great place to see and explore Porto from fab for large group of friends

The villa and gardens are huge, the photos definatly dont do it justice, there is SO much room for everyone. The bedrooms were all a good size, there was a lounge area which we only used once as we spent all our time outside in the seating area, there is a more formal sitting/dining room which we didnt use, we kept the doors closed as was not needed for our party. Kitchen was a good size with dishwasher. The Hosts had left beers, snacks etc in the fridge which was really nice but walking into the kitchen to a lovely Portuguese cake and biscuits plus bottle of wine and fruits bowl was the most amazing gesture and very kind. The Host offered to take us food shopping in his car, which we was grateful for, how nice of him to offer tho :) Ping pong table was the highlight of the evenings with competitions each night!! Swimming pool was used alot but very cold when you first get in, kids didnt feel the cold as much as the adults. We had some cloudy days which didnt help. We wanted a BBQ on the 2nd night and i couldnt get it to work and messaged the Host who said the small gas bottle had probably ran out and said we needed to purchase one, an hour or so later the Host arrived with a new gas bottle, the Host literally goes above and beyond to help. Only downfall was there was nothing walkable except a yummy bakery, we didnt find any restaurants to eat in so used Uber eats alot, McDs was nice and quick! We did get uber taxi to Lidl a few times for shopping. AMAZING break had by all!

It is an ideal setting for a multi generational group of friends/family. The grounds were beautifully kept, there were plenty of games for the children. The pool was very clean and a good size. Joao was there to meet us on arrival and the port and cake was a lovely touch.

Wonderfully spacious property, plenty of room for everyone. We had a great time making use of all the facilities. The photo’s actually don’t do it justice, it’s much better than you expect. Joao was a great help on our arrival day.

The Villa is very spacious, the photos accurately depict the space and you will find all the amenities you need to make your stay enjoyable, pool, hot tub BBQ and many more. There is a metro station a short walk away too. Great for large groups!

4 groups of friends, 15 of us altogether and we all had the best time. Ana and her brother went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. From arranging the airport transfers, to stocking up the fridge for our late arrival, to including a baby gate so our little ones were safe, we couldn’t have asked for better hosts. The villa itself is amazing. As others have said, the pictures just don’t do it justice. It’s incredible. We never felt like we were under each others feet as there was so much space. The outdoor space gets the biggest thumbs up though. Pool, ping pong, football table, hot tub, inflatables, they had everything you could think of. The area is very quiet and residential. The metro is within walking distance, the nearest shop is about a 15 minute walk, and the beach is about a 20 minute walk (unless you have 7 kids with you like we did, in which case it’ll take a good 45 minutes including an ice cream stop!) but Uber is available - which we only thought to use on the second to last day - so if it’s hot, we’d advise using one to get back to the villa. It’s really cheap. We also enquired about getting a catering company in one night to cook for us. Ana recommended her friends Armanda and Manuel. They cooked the most amazing Portuguese BBQ for us. We would highly recommended hiring them. Such wonderful people and amazing chefs! Thank you Ana, you are a great host and we will definitely book the villa again!

The wonderful old villa is a perfect place to relax, to visit Porto and to go to the nearby beaches. The metro station is just 600 m or so away, what makes it convenient to go to Porto. The kitchen is well equipped and the very hospitable hosts even provided some food and a bottle of port wine on the arrival day.

We were 3 families with children aged between 3 and 7 and we had a fantastic time. The property had everything we needed and we were kept well entertained with the lovely pool, table tennis and gardens. The host was very friendly and helpful and took us on a tour to see the local area and made some great recommendations. The welcome platter was also a very kind and welcome gesture! I would highly recommend this villa.

The villa was stunning, well maintained and within easy walking distance of shops, metro and beach. At the villa we made good use of the facilities provided - swimming pool, table tennis and badminton. We were also able to pick some oranges and lemons from the fruit trees in the grounds. On arrival the host made sure we were settled in, introduced us to the local area and even provided a welcome gift of melon, meat&cheese platter and some port! Highly recommend for family holidays.

Beautiful house with a huge lot for many activities

Really large villa, great space for a large group of Friends. Very friendly and helpful hosts - thank you for a lovely stay!

Unfortunately it was too cold to use the swimming pool. Beautiful villa with large spacious garden - had a lovely time and the host was great for check in and check out. Will definitely recommend this property to anyone wanting a great holiday near to Porto.

This house was big enough for a party of 15 with room to spare. The kitchen was well stocked, the house itself is beautiful, and the yard was great for our kids to play. If we had come in the summer then we could have used the pool and never had to leave the house for anything else except food. We had a wonderful time!

We were there with a big group of 16 men of around 20 years old and we had the best time. The big pool was great in the warm weather and there were enough pool beds. Also the pingpong table, the volleyball net and the tiny goals made sure that we didn't get bored. Doing groceries and going to the beach were doable by foot and on the first day Joao helped us doing the first groceries with his car, perfect service!

This is a big well maintained house with loads of space inside and out. Great pool and garden. The laundry room is a real bonus. Everything is well designed and set up for a large group. Some of the beds were a bit hard but that’s better than too soft! To suit our drinking we added large red wine and fizz glasses to the house stock. Two excellent local bakeries and a little supermarket nearby. Beach walkable for the youngsters. Metro handy and great for access to Porto. We had a great holiday.

The house and the garden are very beautiful and broad. The swiming is perfect on summer. The equipment of the house is full.

Fabulous house for large group of friends and family. Gorgeous gardens, great pool area.10 minute walk to station for metro to Porto. Just lovely thank you.

Fabulous house for large group of friends and family. Gorgeous gardens, great pool area. 10 minute walk to station for metro to Porto. Just lovely thank you.

We are a family of 7 adults and a toddler and we all had a great time staying at Vila do Conde. The house was very spacious and the garden was exceptional with lemon, orange and plum trees. The pool was very inviting. The location suited us very well as we could walk round the corner to a cafe for breakfast and also walk to the metro to take the train to Porto. While we were there the weather was cooler than normal but there were still plenty of activities to keep us busy.

It was my 60th birthday and we decided to rent this villa for a family holiday. There were eight adults, three children ranging from 2 to 8 years of age and one nine week old baby. The accommodation was plenty big enough for us all and the grounds were amazing. The swimming pool was just perfect and there was no need to leave the place at all. On our arrival we were met by Joao, who took his time to explain all about the villa and then took a couple of the group out and about to show them the local area. There was a birthday cake and a couple of bottles of’fizz’ to welcome us, as well as a few essentials to see us through to the next morning. Nothing was too much trouble. We caught the metro to Porto one day, which I would thoroughly recommend and a few of the group went to various different beaches in the area. The nearest supermarket was about 15 minutes walk and was well big enough to supply everything we needed. We had a fantastic holiday and would thoroughly recommend the villa to everyone.

We thoroughly enjoyed a family holiday at O'Refugio, Joao made us feel so welcome upon our arrival which immediately set the tone for a wonderful stay. We had four families staying here with six children altogether and we found the house large enough to easily accommodate us all. The house is clean, well-equipped and the gardens extensive. We made use of the pool every day. Locally, there is a fabulous bakery just a five minute walk away which we visited daily for fresh bread, custard cakes and delicious coffee too. We also walked to the beach which took just over fifteen minutes; the sand is golden and there's a fabulous beach bar serving a wide range of snacks and meals. We thoroughly recommend a day trip to Porto; this is a stunning, vibrant city with plenty to do for both children and adults alike. It is also easily accessible by the metro which has two stations within walking distance from the villa. Thank you to Joao, Ana and your mother for providing us with a holiday to remember. We would like to visit this area again.

We had a great family holiday here along with my mother, my sister and her family - 10 of us in all. The house is huge and well appointed, and is surrounded by very well kept gardens featuring a large swimming pool. Beyond the central garden is further land where orange and lemon trees grow and old vines are supported by the high stone wall. O Refugio is in a small, untouristy village about 1.5 miles from Vila do Conde. It has a fantastic bakery a few minutes walk away and some small supermarkets within half a mile. You can walk to the nearest town, and the metro station is about 10 minutes walk. Trains go to central Porto twice an hour and take about 45 minutes. Just over a mile away is the sea, with wide sandy beaches stretching north and south. The beaches to the south are recommended as they are quieter with a beautiful nature reserve behind them. There are a few cafes and a surf shop/school to the north. The house is family-owned and our hosts were extremely welcoming and made our stay very comfortable. When we had a problem with the oven one night it was replaced the next day which was well beyond our expectations. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend O Refugio, especially for families who want a holiday villa with a lot of space to relax away from it all.

We had a lovely holiday, the house was perfect for our 3 families and the pool was exactly what we needed to cool off! We had everything we needed for a relaxing family/friend holiday. We had bbqs every day and ordered a takeaway pizza on my daughters birthday from the local pizzeria which was really good and The local bakers make a delicious birthday cake. We visited Villa do Conde and the other local beach (sorry I cannot remember the name) which we’re both ideal for families with small children. We also visited Porto and Uber was super easy to get us around. Joao was really helpful when we needed him and the whole family was friendly and welcoming when we arrived. We will definitely return x

I rented this house to take my parents, brother, partner and teenage niece and nephew away for a weeks holiday, all together. As we walked up the drive into the garden and saw the pool, set in beautiful gardens, I knew we were in for a good week. We were met by João and his Mum who were so welcoming, helpful and lovely. We didn't hire a car, its only 15 mins from the airport so a local taxi firm is good value and easy to get to the place. João drove a couple of us around the local area to show us the supermarket, beach and a few restaurants which was really helpful. We were left a beautiful welcome box full of fresh fruit, a cake and a bottle of Port that all went down very well on our first night. Our group consisted of 8 adults, (3 couples) all had their own bedroom and three bathrooms was perfect. The house was spotless and very well equipped making catering for the herds easy and the gardens were really well cared for - fresh oranges / lemons on the tree which complimented my G & T nicely. The pool, BBQ area, outside dining and table tennis was brilliant and we ate at home more than going out although everywhere is really good value. The Metro is a short walk away and then a ride into Porto which was great ... river cruise and open top bus ride were good and the small, side street restaurants served fantastic fresh food, all really good value. The local people are so friendly and helpful, I would definitely go back, and highly recommend this property. When you close the gates and sit round the pool, we were in our own bit of paradise for a week, thank you for sharing this with us.

Accueil chaleureux. Maison immense et confortable pour les grandes familles. Très propre. La piscine est très agréable. Le jardin sublime. Nous avons adoré notre séjour 😊

We had a fantastic stay at o Refugio. The house and garden are spacious, comfortable and beautiful. The whole family loved lounging by the pool, which is big and very clean, although (being september) the water was a bit chilly for our toddler. The kitchen was well equipped with everything we needed and we appreciated the welcome food, port and cake. We enjoyed walking round the large garden and picking and eating the home grown fruit. The local coffee shop is excellent value. We visited the beaches in Villa do Conde, which are very pretty. We also had a great day trip to Porto (by Metro) which is well worth a visit (we'd recommend the river cruise). Ana Maria was really helpful, very quick to respond and gave us a lovely welcome. We'd definitely recommend a stay at O Refugio.

We had a wonderful holiday in the large villa. we are a family of 11 people : grandmam, granddad, 3 daughters with their husband and 3 children. There was room enough for all of us. The garden was enormous : we could do a jogging in the morning! and after : a splash in the swimming pool, play tablesoccer and tabletennis. really, nobody had a boring day. Thank you for allow us to stay in your beautiful villa, dear Ana and Joao!

Immediately we walked through the black gate it was overwhelming the photos did not do it justice. Green foliage and brightly coloured flowers as we meandered around the large garden. The family warmly greeted us and escorted us around the numerous fruit trees, plums, limes, lemons, oranges, mandarins, kiwi and many more. The pool was cleaned for us with plenty of towels and an outside shower. The welcome extended to the well equipped kitchen where there was a bottle of port, fruit and a traditional Portuguese cake awaiting us. The tour of this spacious villa was very impressive with many personal family items to make it feel like a home. There were only 6 of us so we were never short of quiet areas to read and reflect and then have laughter over the barbecue and table tennis. It is rare for me to hear birds in London but at the villa the birdsong was always heard. Small swallows peeped through bedroom shutters. The weather was hot but the breeze one gets here made it very comfortable and kept the mosquitoes away. The villa was spotless and well stocked with everything one would need for a stay. Its location was perfect for a 5 minute stroll to the bakery where we purchased fresh bread and pastries each morning. Whilst we hired a car we mainly used the metro as it was only a 10 minute walk away. It does take a while to work out how the payment system works so do leave time to do this!. Porto needs more than a couple of visits as there is so much to see from a walk around the medieval streets with lunch on route to a visit to the spectacular S. Bento train station with its history shown on the tiled walls. I would recommend a river trip as the scenery is so pretty. For art lovers a visit to the Serralves Museum which hosts Portuguese and International contemporary art housed in beautiful gardens with an art deco villa. One needs to check the opening times of both museum and villa. The hot and cold buffet eating as much as one wants to was delicious. A drive to the village of Amarante which is alongside the river is worth a visit. Overall the week was perfect at the villa and I could have benefited from a second week as there is so many beautiful places to see. I needed a relaxing week and that is what O Refugio provided me with as well as my friends. Thank you so much Ana Maria and your family. I definitely would like to return and hope to do this in the future. Thank you so much.

perfect

The house was amazing. It is very spacious and the garden is huge. There was more than enough room for 11 ladies. The pool is just perfect, and very nice that towels were provided. Very warm welcome by the host, we loved the port, cakes and fresh fruit. And 2 of us even got a tour by car through the area, so we knew all the good spots to go to. All in all, we had a lovely stay - thank you!