알데이아 다 페드랄바 - 슬로우 빌리지

Pedralva, a rural village in the concelho of Vila do Bispo, once inhabited by 100 people, has begun a painful process of desertification. Since 2006, it has been restored to habitable condition using old materials. Some of the houses are rented out by Aldeia da Pedralva as "hotel" accommodation. You can use the restaurant and breakfast buffet. The swimming pool is under construction 🚧 and thus closed. The patio of our room Casteljo could not be used as the patio furniture was broken. The property itself is authentic and has everything. However, luxury should not be expected. The property was clean and the bed linen etc was neat.

We loved the concept behind this hotel. A group of friends ‘rescuing’ a dying village and turning it into an authentic experience of how the locals used to live. It was a delightful and picturesque place to stay, and we were glad we went there. That said, we do like some comforts. A fan of some sort would have made our nights so much more comfortable; we ultimately took a risk with comfort and airflow from street accessible windows and doors, over feelings of personal security. There are stairs to the bedroom and the front door, so accessibility will be an issue for some. On the positive side, dinner at Sitio da Pedralva was fantastic, as was the service. The flaming chorizo was a highlight, but in truth all the food was good. Families can self cater, although the nearest supermarket is about 7km away and there are limited supplies at the village itself, so being whatever you need in terms of food if you don’t want to eat out. The pool and kids playground are basic.