Casinha de Montoito

Lovely house, gracious country-style decor, comfortable beds, petite but well-equipped kitchen with much-appreciated gift of bread, cheese and wine on arrival and an open log fire which saved us when the temperature hit freezing at 6 in the morning (but plenty of warm blankets on each bed). Logs for the fire were provided. Plonk in the middle of wine country with a vineyard in the town which is open for visitors. A great feel of the Alentejo. Interesting things within easy reach include Evora and Monsaraz, the Sharish gin distillery, olive oil and/or wine tasting at Esperao, and a fabric manufacturer in Reguengos where we saw the looms at work.

The electricity in the house is dated which is understandable as it is an older cottage, hence its charm. We visited during a particularly cold spell and the electric heaters frequently knocked out the whole supply so it was not possible to use most other electric appliances at the same time. Once we were told how to reinstate it, we could do this easily even if it was a bit annoying. We were flexible about this but it just would have been helpful to know how in advance.