For one of the nights on our way through Douro Valley, Portugal, we stayed in a rather unusual place: Casas de Campo da Barroca*. This bed-and-breakfast-style property is a small rural hotel in the quiet heart of Tabosa village.
The hotel is new and set on the foundation of typical hamlets of the village. These traditional homes have been restored, elevated, and modernized. The rooms have clean, modern decor, spacious showers, and all of the 1st world amenities you would expect and want. A handful of buildings are spread out with only a few rooms in each. The kitchen is on the ground floor with an exit into the yard. Here, your host will serve a traditional, family-style, Portuguese breakfast in the morning. Since we were the only ones there everything was timed to our choosing.
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Staying in the Portuguese countryside is a special experience, isolated in many ways. The closest restaurant is a 15 min drive. The neighbors’ doors and windows are shut (as they are everywhere in non-urban areas). All of the streets are empty, just wind gusting down the streets. What you will hear is nature’s quiet, sheep’s bells, and the insects living out their lives in healthy agriculture.
The yard area in the back of the hotel looks out at a sparse tree plantation. This all creates a very nice, relaxing view. And if you sit back on a sunbed after dark you get a magnificent view of the sky. Here, you can actually see the milky way. We spent hours sitting wrapped up in sweaters, looking at constellations, and drinking local wine.
Overall, Casas de Campo da Barroca* is a home of tranquility located in a comfortable rural environment. It is a unique experience on many levels and one I very much enjoyed.
Note: The hotel team will ask what time you arrive and it is best you estimate your arrival carefully because the host will drive up from a nearby town to let you in. Arrive early and you are left alone to wander the small quiet village. A nice way to spend some time during the day, not so much after sunset.
Address: Casas de Campo da Barroca* (The Country Houses of Barroca), R. Cruz de Pedra, 3640-030, Portugal.
Please don’t mind the grainy phone photos, it was a rather cold day which I was not prepared for. To see the trip on Instagram type in #xoPortugal17.
