Casas do Côro

My husband and I spent a wonderful 3 days at this uniquely beautiful resort. The service was unparalleled - we felt like visiting royalty. We sampled just about every service the resort had to offer, firstly a wine tasting provided by Paulo, the owner. The facility grows its own grapes and produce several different wines for local consumption, all of which were very good. There was a dinner included in our package, created by Paulo's wife Carmen, also delicious. We were provided a jeep tour of the local countryside and the owners' vineyards by Pedro, son of the owners! It really is a family business operated with lots of passion for their craft and the desire to provide exquisite & memorable experiences for their guests. We made good use of both the outdoor pool and the spa, including relaxing massages. We also had their 5 course tasting menu, which was very good. We had a cooking lesson provided, of course, by Carmen and had lunch on the fruits of that labour on our last full day. The most interesting, unique and memorable aspect of this resort is the surroundings. The resort has been built in the hills of northern Portugal on the site of a former medieval village, some of which remains intact below the resort. There is a 12th century castle and citadel which abuts the resort and is definitely worth touring (and especially seeing at night when it is beautifully lit). It is truly otherworldly to stroll through the village, inhabited by residents whose families have been there for many generations! Thank you again to Carmen, Paulo, Pedro, Sofia, Sandy, Christina and our massage therapist whose name escapes me, as well as all the other staff who helped makes our stay so amazing. It was one of our most memorable experiences ever and we hope to come back some day!