Casa Das Pipas / Quinta do Portal

Don't trust the wonderful comments on the net if you want to book a family room . You won't benefit either of the view or the quiet. You will be accommodated in a small building near the road where loud engines start working at 6.30! no view on the vineyards either. Very dark room with a narrow staircase for the third person ( impossible to take the suitcase up if you are a bit old). The shower ceiling is black with humidity. The mirror is so high I could only see my hair in it. The restaurant is good but pricey compared to similar ones. As to the attitude of the lady in charge, it is barely polite. She obviously could not care less. I have just read a comment from four years ago where somebody describes the same experience as ours and apparently nothing has changed since.

Remarkable property, grand spaces, pool overlooking wine covered hills. Ask for corner room if possible, it came with small balcony and views from multiple directions. The Quinta is located at the end of the most interesting winding road up from Pinhao.

Casa das Pipas is a Boutique Hotel with around 12 rooms, it’s on the Quinta Portal wine Estate elevated in the top region of the Douro Valley about 20 minutes from Pinhâo which is on the Douro Riverside. B&B is the best option at the Hotel as there isn’t much in the way of alternative options for Breakfast nearby. Service from check in to check out is attentive, and personalised as you would expect from a small boutique place, the Breakfast service is lovely with the usual selection of fare with eggs cooked to order on demand. Private parking is available within the site. There are a lot of similar places in the Douro region, all of similar accommodations with their own twist. Casa das Pipas is good value for money, we would stay again! The Estate (Chef) Restaurant offers excellent dining at a reasonable cost and is recommended for at least one dinner depending on the length of your stay. The Hotel has a lovely pool amongst the rows of vines making it a great place to relax after a day out. We stayed 3 nights which is probably enough time to explore the area and take in an Estate Wine Tour or two and or take one of the excursions on the River or a great low cost option is the Train Ride up the Douro River from Pinhâo to Pocinho (at the end of the line) and return, the line hugs the riverside and presents a complete view of the terrain along this iconic river. Top tip check the schedule timings with the Pinhâo station office to ride the immediate return train as the is very little to do in Pocinho (Trains frequently get cancelled ‘on the day! Just like being in the UK😉

We stayed for two nights at Casa das Pipas as part of a Portugal Green Walks walking tour. Since Casa das Pipas is part of the Quinta do Portal winery complex, we had easy access to the tasting room and winery tour, as well as the excellent onsite restaurant. Casa das Pipas is a lovely boutique hotel that is nestled in the Quinta do Portal vineyards. The rooms and common areas are beautiful, the breakfasts are great, and the pool is refreshing. It's a short walk up to the Quinta do Portal winery tour/tasting building which was designed by a renowned Portuguese architect and has many eco-centric features like a green roof and cork exterior siding. Dinner at the restaurant was a real highlight of our stay. The chef creates a new tasting menu every evening and the sommelier really went out of his way to introduce us to different wines (for example, he didn't want to duplicate ones we had already tasted on the tour). Casa das Pipas would be a great destination for a group of friends vacationing in the Douro Valley! We'd love to return!