9 June 2011

Portugal, Alcacer do Sal, Casas do Sal

The award for creative interpretation of a chocolate on our pillow goes to Casas do Sal. We viewed the movie Chocolat beamed on the swimming pool wall under a sky full of stars with our feet in the water laying in big comfortable lounging coushions while sipping our wine....

How about that?













Casas do Sal is a family owned 2000-hectare estate situated 100km South of Lisbon idyllically hidden in the remote country side of Alenjeto and a half hour drive away from one of the most beautiful Atlantic beaches. The traditional white / cobalt blue colored cottages house 8 spacious rooms and apartments. Everywhere there is a laid back, bohemian and colorful vibe. Turismo rural as Sara and Joao (the vibrant and life enjoying owners) call it. I would describe it as hammocks and horses, caipirinha's and cork oaks, bikini's and bird watching. Click on the following link to get a good impression: http://www.wonderfulland.com/wonder2006/sleep/sal/indexhouse.htm#atmosphere

Casas do Sal is such a great discovery as it is a real 'no compromise' address when travelling with kids (we were there with a 2 yr old and a baby of 8 wks). Sara and Joao (who live in Lisbon as well) have three young kids of their own, so there is a natural child friendly atmosphere (and they have baby cots, baths, high chairs and even a off road easywalker we could use). There are some rules though that makes it nice for adults as well. In the cosey communal living area (with honesty bar) kids under 15 are not allowed by themselves. But Sara dedicated one apartment to be a playing room with TV and all the toys and entertainment you can think of. Very smart, and very convenient. Aside from this room, kids will love the enormous variety of animals all around (dogs, horses, chickens, birds, pigs, a parrot...) and the swimming pool is great for kids as well as it has a shallow end where they can play.

Massage in the garden, playing room, white & cobalt blue, horses
















Things to do on the estate: chill at the pool or in the garden, explore the grounds by bike or feet and dive into the beautiful private lake (2 km away from the cottages), play tennis, book a massage (in the garden!), do some fishing or even hunting. If you are into golfing there are multiple options in the area. And you should also not miss: Badoca safari park (great for kids), Evora (lovely World Heritage town) and Comporta beach. One of the most beautiful and clean Atlantic beaches I have ever seen. 



There are two beach clubs at Comporta: Ihla do Arroz and Comporta Cafe. Both stylish, relaxed, child friendly and an absolute reccomendation for a dinner on the beach.

Are there also remarks / things to know about Casas do Sal? Just a few:
1) Fly into Lisbon and rent a car.
2) The walls of Casa so Sal are very thick, so bring a baby phone/ walkie talkie with baby phone function with good reach.
3) The location is remote and your roomrate includes bed & breakfast. There is a simple but good bar menu for lunch, but dinner is only served in the off season (before July 12 and after September 14) and will cost 30 eur pp for adults.
4) The apartments have a small kitchen (fridge, microwave, cooker, coffee machine) which is very convenient to prepare a small lunch or dinner for the kids but real cooking is not possible/ allowed.

We were in Casas do Sal in June, so we had dinner at the estate a few times, went to the beach and had dinner in Comporta Cafe and Ihla do Arroz and prepared a simple 'appetizers' meal ourselves several times with bread, salads, local cheeses, sausages, olives and a good bottle of wine. With the kids sound asleep, sitting on our terrace watching the sky turning all colors of red/ purple we enjoyed these kind of meals perhaps even the most...  

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