* QUINTA DO ACOR.
A LUXURIOUS , VERY PRIVATE AND SECLUDED , HOLIDAY VILLA . *
This villa and all its land is for the exclusive use of the rental clients family and guests NB, You will not be sharing with strangers . There are no neighbours and the owners are not living on site or nearby like a lot of holiday rentals nowadays !
You will have the whole villa , pool and beautiful gardens to relax in and enjoy at your own leisure.
Quinta do Acor is a stunning luxury villa in a very tranquil, private location on the edge of the Serra do Acor mountains within the Beira region of central Portugal but still part of the silver coast. It's an unspoilt rural area of Portugal.
The house is split into two appartments that are linked and can be used as one house but can also afford you a lot of privacy if needed.
There is a modern kitchen with everything you could need and a really good portuguese coffee maker ! In the lounge there is a large smart tv with satellite and internet and a playstation and netflix etc if wanted .
The bathrooms have different designs and are luxurious with large showers and baths and one with a large double Jacuzzi bath .The beds are all kingsize but large singles are available.
The mattresses are handmade and are very comfortable .We have quality cotton linen and towels.
There are walk in wardrobes with plenty of space with mirrors and lights .
In one of the apartments is a very large living room with a small kitchen run that Is now the fourth bedroom .
The whole of Quinta Do Acor is on the internet and you can access it in most places around the villa .
The house is situated on the edge of a cork and pine forest and within walking distance of the river Alva river beach which is resanded each year and well looked after. This a great place to swim or to jump in by rope or diving board.
Or just walk to the other side of the river across a wide shallow walkway come waterfall where you will find a very nice local Portuguese restaurant and bar , or stay at the beach bar and have a snack and a drink. There is a small cafe in our village that is a nice ten minute walk by road or through the woods which can organise fresh bread if needed and they love to chat if you want to practice some Portuguese.
The bread arrives at around 9am so its a nice place to get up and stroll to and use the internet and have an early coffee.
They also stock a few groceries.
There are lots of woodland tracks that lead to beautiful spots for views or nearby river routes around the villa that can be explored. These can be followed all the way to Arganil or other smaller towns and villages if you like to walk .
There are other cafes and eating places within walking distance via road or track and all the other amenities are all in easy reach by car in three nearby towns,Arganil ,Coja and Tabua .All have hotels , banks, supermarkets of all types of shopping with lots of places to eat and drink .
The closest town Arganil has a small hospital and private clinic and doctors and dentists and vets.
We are quite close to Coimbra the beautiful and historic previous capital of Portugal. Coimbra is one of the worlds oldest university cities with a preserved medieval old town and one of the largest excavated Roman settlements called Conimbriga is nearby.
Coimbra sits either side of the wide river Mondego and has the historical and modern woven together .There are good shops hidden away down alleys and large stores and markets all around with two large modern shopping centres with multiscreen cinemas .
Not far from Coimbra you hit the Atlantic coast and the fantastic sand dune protected wide beaches.
Back at the Villa you arrive from Porto in under an hour and a half and enter down a wooded track through gates into a space of total enchanting privacy .
The villa has a large parking area where there is one of four covered water wells . A fish man visits here wednesday and thursday lunchtime and toots his horn to see if you would like fresh fish and if you don't appear he leaves ,this area is cut off from the house by large hedging and walls .
On entering you can walk all aroung the villa on the cobbled and tiled walkways passing the organic garden with veg ,fruit and herbs and round the back of the indoor kitchen where theres a outside garden seating area that gets the morning sun and is a great place for breakfast .
From here you are looking down the garden and over your hectare of land and forest and up to the mountains ,these are beautifully clear most of the year with endless sunny blue skies but in January and Febuary there may be snow up there . The Serra Da Estrela mountains ( mountains of the stars ) are the only mountains in Portugal that you can go skiing and a great place to visit at all times.
Going around the path you go between two gardens. One is below the pool area and the planted banks up to it and the other is a shaded garden area and beds at the back of the villa.
Here you can go up some wide granite steps to the very large upstairs sun terrace which over looks the pool ,gardens and the other courtyards ,it's totally private and also a good spot to keep an eye on the children by the pool or down the land. Its a perfect sun trap but with shade provided and it gets the last of the evening sun so its perfect for an evening cocktail or a peaceful spot for early morning yoga or evening star gazing . Below is a covered balcony area leading from the house, a lovely spot to relax with a private shady garden and large cherry tree with a hammock and views to the mountains.
Across the path from here steps lead up to the large sun patio around the pool with sun beds and umbrellas,chairs and tables. The large 12 by 5 metre pool is on a raised area with beautiful views with flower and shrub planted banks on three sides which are colourful and fragrant . The banks unexpectedly and naturally help to keep the pool warm with the sun.
There are two sets of steps leading up to the pool from different ends and there is plenty of space around the whole pool for sunbeds and umbrellas to be moved with the sun theres also a small grassy shaded private area to just relax on and dig your toes into! The pool is a gently sloping 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 ft deep and looking out from the deep end its like an infinity pool with a fantastic view of the mountains , gardens and forests. The whole area is very private and not overlooked so you can sunbathe freely. At the back of the pool is the bar, wet room and toilet and to the front of this are large cork oaks, shrubs and planted beds amongst and under these are various shaded seating areas which are great places for reading or just relaxing . The trees , gardens and a large well and water feature here are all lit at night and make a fantastic area in front of your own private bar .This is well decorated and beautifully lit with a newly covered pool table. There is an amplifier for iPods etc and good speakers, air con, internet, ice machine and a wood burner just for the winter holidays or for the party evenings if you can stand the heat ! Out the side door of the bar is another courtyard with a large deep beautiful brick well safely covered by a lit metal structure so you can peer down into the depths. In this courtyard there is the washroom with a large modern washing machine and a tumble dryer with ironing board ,spare linen and towels plus a large freezer if you're having a party and want plenty of ice and cold drinks or ice creams.
Opposite this is the pool pump house . A pool man comes each week to check on the copper diode system that keeps the pool free of chemicals .
The villa is free from public water and is fed from a 110 metre deep borehole within the courtyard that can produce 1500 litres an hour at most times.
Out of this courtyard and down some wide steps you enter a very large portuguese cobbled courtyard that has the entrances to other parts of the villa . There are solar lights here and around the whole property that look magic at night .there is another large cobble covered well here with a water feature and beautiful raised gardens surrounding it .
In this courtyard is the outside kitchen , dining area with marble work surfaces , sink ,dishwasher ,fridge and a conventional double ovened six burner multifuel range but also a fantastic handmade wood fired bread oven .This is the place that our guests say they spend most of their time. It has a large communal table and chairs, and a great atmosphere . built onto this is a tiled bbq area underneath a delicious eating grape vine a rose and a kiwi covered pergola . This whole area is perfect for preparing shady lunches or candlelit evening meals. There are many different seating areas in sun and shade alike at Quinta Do Acor with plenty of space for everyone to relax and enjoy. The property has plenty of charm and space. A lot of clients say they did'nt venture far as they had everything they wanted but it's also great for explorers and perfect for nature lovers, with miles of country side for walking, mountain biking, and activities such as riding, kayaking, and abseiling, or as a base to explore the markets, historic towns and villages or to soak up the Portuguese culture.