Casa da Mina

Actuality we did not stay at this property, we were moved to another property out of town. Rui was very nice and property was nice but it was to far from town which caused a lot of inconvenience and disappointment with the younger ones in our group. again Rui was a super host.

location

DO NOT RENT THIS PROPERTY. The owner told us 3 nights before we were due to arrive that there was a leak and he could offer us alternative accommodation. Other reviews show that he did the same thing to three other groups: see reviews dated July 11, July 20, and August 8. This means he should have told us there was a problem 3 or 4 weeks earlier, so we had time to find something else. As it was, we felt we had no choice but to accept the alternative he offered. Casa da Mina is in the centre. The alternative accommodation he gave us is miles away in a place called Arrifes (a 1-hour walk to the marina – so we ended up taking numerous taxis). He put the other disappointed guests here, too. Note: Getting taxis in Ponta Delgada can be difficult and you can wait a long time for a taxi home after dinner in town. The owner said the alternative accommodation was “tranquil.” It is on a busy main road and a building site: he is apparently building something else there, and men were working with a drill on site during two days of our stay. Opposite is a half-built house, where he keeps his dog chained up (see photo). He also came twice and charged his electric car right outside the window to the main bedroom, a few meters from the bed. It was not good if you expected some privacy. The owner also told us that Casa da Mina would be unavailable for the rest of August, so other guests will presumably be heading to this alternative accommodation.