Quinta Vale Caranguejo

The location was quiet .

The property was inundated with ants. On the first night they were even in the bed. I had to rip the sheets off & shake them. The shower pan on the first day was covered in dead flies . A few days into our holiday the main gate was locked , which we were not advised it could happen . So after a long day out , we had to have the hassle of contacting the property manager & waiting for her to respond with a reply of how to get access via the locked gate.

The place looks lovely with the two trees out front. Nice swimming pools, great way to cool down on a hot day. The family of cats that live on the roof and come down the tree were nice company. The lady that looks after the place was very helpful.

Some many mosquitos, make sure you bring some bug protection. The sofa beds aren't the most comfortable, and are a bit small even for someone of an average height. Ants were a bit of an issue make sure you store all the food in the fridge.

Perfect indoors; super accommodation, no complaints whatsoever. Well kitted out, very clean, everything you would need or want. There are 2 cats that are constant companions; we didn't mind at all but if you're allergic to cats, may be good to note.

Outside of property pretty disappointing, weeds everywhere, zillions of ants, not attractive or inviting at all. Not as promoted or expected via photos on booking.com. A couple of days in, the weeds were removed & looked much better but the surroundings still not conducive to a welcoming, relaxing 'holiday' atmosphere. The place lacks some care/love - no flowers/pots etc. Impression is there are a few of these units but it's just the one. The pool is super but there's no sunbeds, just 2 patches of false grass. Apparently a restaurant 250m away - never found it..... a cafe in a petrol station about a mile away. Major shopping centre at the end of the road for all shopping/food needs is brill but again really need a car. Hate to give such a review as could be such a super place; the inside is pretty perfect.

Location was great for us, just outside of the centre and the locked gated entrance was an added bonus for security.

The outside area and pool is communal which I wasn't aware of when booking as it stated private pool. People used the outside area for yoga and the pool was used by neighbours. The pool was dirty however once I reported it someone came to tend to it. The outside area looked tired and in need of a clean up.

Helena was lovely, communicative, welcoming. The farm and location were ideal. The cats, lovely. The wine and fruit bounty were absolutely appreciated.

We were there for a week, so could have benefitted from more garbage bags.