Casa do Valle is a large and very comfortable 17th Century house wich stands in a hilltop hamlet and has impressive views over the mountains of Marao and Alvao. 2km away the River Tamega flows down a narrow, unspoilt valley to join the famous river Douro; there are plenty of places by the river to picnic, swim and fish. This is the Basto country which is known for its Vinho Verde Wine and the house is a part of a 750 acre estate largely given over to the production of Vinho Verde. This is harvested in late September and early October. The main wine lodge is only 10 minutes walk from the house and you will be made welcome there. At Casa do Valle, the visitor has the opportunity to get to know all the Vinho Verde Wine making process. The golf course at Vidalo is about half an hour away and there is a railway locomotive museum as well as shops and restaurants at Arco de Baulhe; the Caneiro restaurant is recommended for its good, simple, local food. The house is within easy reach of the attractive Basto villages; Celorico de Basto, Mondim de Basto, and Cabeceiras do Basto. There is a little supermarket and a café within five minutes walk of the house. The countryside is distinctly hilly and to the north and east increasingly rugged and mountainous; there are plenty of good walks.
Details of Accommodation :
The house was restored in 1996 and has been decorated and furnished in very good taste. On the ground floor there is a patio in front of the front door which opens into the entrance hall. This in turn gives access to a corridor which leads down to a living room with sofas to seat 7, arranged around a coffee table in front of the fireplace. This opens into a dining room with a dining table to seat 12, set upon terracotta floor tiles. The dining room is linked to the kitchen by a lobby. The kitchen is well equipped and has fitted cupboards, a microwave as well as a gas oven, washing machine, and a dryer. The walls are decorated with attractive tiles. On the ground floor there is also a twin bedroom and its own shower room/WC.
On the first floor are five bedrooms linked by a central corridor. There are three twin bedrooms each with its own bathroom/WC. Of the last two bedrooms one has a single bed, one has twin beds and both rooms share a bathroom. The central corridor on the first floor opens through double doors into a second reception room with sofas and a fireplace. The house has gas fired central heating.
Outside there is a large lawn with vines on three sides, olive trees, a cork tree and a 10m x 5m swimming pool.
