They are a superb conversion of former estate workers houses and are situated in the grounds of an 8 hectare estate.

There are five villas all very tastefully decorated and extremely comfortable. Two of them have an interconnecting door.

The villas are grouped together near the main house which is occasionaly used by the owners. A second 4 bedroom house is available for rent but is unsuitable for children or the elderly due to the spiral staircases.

All the villas at Quinta de Valverde have central heating and double glazed windows. The views are over the roofs of Viana do Castelo, the Lima Valley and the ocean beyond. The accommodation is as follows:

1 BEDROOM VILLA
Spacious sitting room with open fireplace and a sofa bed suitable for 1 adult or 2 small children.
Open plan in design with fully fitted kitchenette.
Double bedroom with doors opening onto a covered veranda. Bathroom with a full size bath.
Patio doors leading out to a private terrace which has chairs and table for outdoor dining.

Two similar villas are available.

2 BEDROOM VILLA
Spacious sitting room with open fireplace and a sofa bed suitable for 1 adult or, 2 small children.
Open plan in design with fully fitted kitchenette with similar equipment to the smaller villa.
One double bedroom and one twin bedroom. Two bathrooms with a full size bath.
Patio doors leading out to a private terrace which has chairs and table for outdoor dining.

A similar villa with 2 twin bedrooms is available.

4 BEDROOM VILLA
Spacious sitting room with open fireplace.
Fully fitted kitchen
Three double bedrooms and one twin bedroom. Three bathrooms with a full size bath.
Private garden and barbecue.

A feature of the estate are the aviaries in which a collection of about 100 decorative pheasants and some peacocks are kept.

A shaded hillside area has a communal barbecue for the use of the guests.

Near the villas is the former farm kitchen and this area is available for communal dining if all the accommodation is taken by one group. This building also houses the caretaker of the property who is available to assist with any problems.

The swimming pool has views over the ocean. The dimensions are 12 x 6 metres and 1.5 to 2 metres deep.

Walking up the hill, guests should visit the Santa Luzia Temple, the more energetic can climb up to the observation platform above the dome (The Zimborium).

Continuing up the hill is the site of the original celtic round houses, the first inhabited area of the town. The population living here began to decline about 2000 years ago with the Roman invasion when the inhabitants were forced to move to the low lying land to become farmers to feed the Roman armies.

On top of the hill is the beautiful Pousada where a beer on the terrace, which has splendid panoramic views, is highly recommended. A road also leads along the top of the mountain with stunning views and wild horses.

There are a number of excellent golf courses in the area, they can be seen by clicking on Northern Portugal golf courses.