Casa de Antonio is a unique property with Baroque architecture that dates back to the 17th century. It sits within huge gardens enjoying fabulous countryside and mountain views in Lugar de Portela in the parish of Fontoura in the cherished Minho region of Portugal. Roughly 100km from Porto, 40km from both Vigo and Ponte de Lima and a little closer to Braga, guests staying at Casa de Antonio can easily explore this beautiful area, enjoying its stunning scenery, its delicious local wines and its excellent cuisine.
Ponte de Lima is one of the most historic towns in the north of Portugal and the home of the popular vinho Verde wine. The town is surrounded by magical green landscapes and is a stop on the famous Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route. Ponte de Lima offers beautiful gardens, a very famous bridge, its ancient Igreja da Misericordia Church, its bustling town square and some wonderful viewpoints. At the mouth of the river, Viana do Castelo enjoys a compact historic centre boasting extravagant religious buildings, delightful cafes, elegant plazas and narrow shopping streets which open onto the banks of the Lima River. It's pearly white, neo-Byzantine Santa Luzia Church presides over the city, sitting high on the hilltop. Braga is the oldest city in Portugal, having been founded by the Romans in the year 16BC. It is known as the ‘Rome of Portugal’ for its thirty churches and the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. Art overflows onto its legendary streets. Guests staying at Casa de Antonio enjoy visiting these wonderful historic towns, spending days on spectacular, wild Atlantic beaches or picturesque rivers and tasting incredibly delicious food and wine. It is a wonderful area for hiking, cycling and horse riding, with sensational scenery all around. You can easily step over the border into Galicia, Spain.
Casa de Antonio enjoys extensive gardens, various terraces, a 20m long private swimming pool, barbecue facilities, fountains, an alfresco dining area and wonderful views. The gardens are sprinkled with hundreds of trees, including twenty-five olive trees that are over three hundred years old. There are fifty magnolias, cork oaks, chestnut trees, oaks and numerous ornamental plants. It is very easy at Casa de Antonio to find a quiet corner where you can enjoy your holiday book, listening only to the sounds of bird songs.
The villa offers a wonderful blend of vintage furnishings, ancient nods from the past and some modern comforts. In marble, stone and wood, it enjoys a homely, rustic ambience. There are four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a rustic country kitchen, an enormous dining room and an atmospheric living room. The dining room is just fabulous for a celebration meal with its giant feature fireplace, its exposed stonework, its wooden ceiling, its huge chandelier and its vast dining table. The living room is a much cosier space with vintage sofas and chairs, a great space for drinks and planning your Minho adventures. There is also an office with a huge library. You will be fascinated by the detail throughout the villa, including the tiled wall that adorns another unique space. Double doors open from the dining room to the kitchen, where you will find vintage dressers, a range cooker, stone walls and a thoroughly charming ambience.
One bedroom enjoys an intricately carved large double bed, another has a double bed, two others offer large double beds, plus there is a single bed. There are four bathrooms with showers. Casa de Antonio gives you a chance to get away from it all, to recharge amongst nature, and its splendid location makes it very easy to explore this dreamy region.
What Oliver loves...
Casa de Antonio offers much charm, ancient nods to its past and gorgeous vintage furnishings
The villa is set on amazing, extensive grounds with numerous terraces, fountains, trees, lawns and a modern pool
The villa enjoys an enviable spot in the Minho hills, within easy reach of some of the most famous towns and villages of the region
What you should know
Casa de Antonio is a rural property with extensive grounds. There is a modern pool, but some of the outdoor furnishings are old
The villa enjoys wonderful nods from the past. It has been updated to offer modern comforts but still enjoys rustic appeal and vintage furnishings
There are so many places to visit in this stunning area that you are advised to plan carefully to fit it all in!
Make sure you taste the delicious local wines!
This home is a part of our Great Value Collection!
Our great value homes:
may be traditionally styled for a laid back feeling
may have some simple amenities and features
mean that you can enjoy top holiday destinations for less!
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The Local Area
About the surrounding area of Casa de Antonio
<1hr to Airport
Rural Location
Outstanding Landscapes
Casa de Antonio enjoys a gorgeous rural location in Lugar de Portela, Fontoura, in the Minho region. The Minho is one of the most beautiful areas of Portugal, sprinkled with rivers, forests, historic towns and villages. The villa is close to the legendary city of Braga as well as beautiful villages, including Ponte de Lima, Camina and many others. It is 40km from the city of Vigo. This region of the Minho offers wonderful activities, including the Ecovia cycling route, kayaking along the Lima River, river bathing in Labruja, mountain biking or hiking in the Serra D’Arga and birdwatching in the Lagoas de Bertiandos.
Ponte de Lima is one of Portugal’s oldest towns, with an atmospheric ambience and offering a rich cultural experience. The Ponte de Lima Bridge is 277 metres long, stretching over the picturesque Lima River. The Romans built the first five arches, and it was then fortified and extended by fifteen arches during the medieval period. Ponte de Lima boasts two magnificent churches, Igreja da Misericordia and Igreja de Santo Antonio, which sit across the river with their baroque styling. Largo de Camoes Plaza is the town’s bustling square with spectacular views of the Lima River and a sprinkling of cafes, bars and restaurants. Ponte de Lima is the home of the famous vinho Verde wine. Torre da Cadeia Velha is a tower which is part of the old Ponte de Lima wall. It is used for exhibitions and tourist shops. Ponte de Lima sits in glorious countryside with fabulous viewpoints. These include Miradouro of Saint Catarina, which offers views of the river, Miradouro of Magdalene, which enjoys views over the town and surrounding landscape and Miradouro of Bola da Pena which enjoys 360-degree views of the entire area. The town is famous for its gastronomy.
The attractive town of Caminha boasts the ancient Torre do Relogio de Caminha, the clock tower which forms part of the old city walls built in the 12th century and is a national monument. You can climb to the top of the tower to enjoy fabulous panoramic views of the town. The Rua Direita or Ricardo Joaquim de Sousa Street is the cobbled main street in the historic centre. Another historical monument is the Igreja Matriz de Caminha, where you can admire tiles from the 17th century. Visitors can take a ferry over to Galicia from Caminha.
Viana do Castelo is one of Portugal’s many hidden gems. It boasts 19th-century boulevards, narrow lanes lined with splendid Manueline houses, spacious plazas, beautiful churches, a gorgeous riverfront, excellent restaurants and cafes and its hill-perched giant 1909 basilica Santa Luzia Church. You can reach the basilica by climbing the steps, taking the car or riding the funicular. From the top, visitors delight in a gob-smacking view over the town, rated the world’s third most beautiful panorama by National Geographic Magazine. The town also boasts St Mary the Great’s Cathedral, built in the fifteenth century. As well as offering architectural grandeur, Viana do Castelo also offers seaside charm. A little ferry takes you to the magnificent Cabadelo Beach, where you can kite surf, bask in the Portuguese sunshine and wander along the wooden promenade.
Other wonderful Minho beaches include Vila Praia de Ancora, Praia de Moledo and Caminha’s Foz do Minho Beach next to the River Minho. Visitors also enjoy kayaking in the Minho and Lima rivers.
The ancient city of Braga has always been an important centre for culture, commerce and religion. It was originally called Bracara Augusta. In the 12th century, it became the seat of Portugal’s archbishops. Its magnificent Se Cathedral was begun in the 12th century and is home to the city’s Sacred Art Museum. The former archbishop’s palace dates back to the 14th century. You should also visit the 16th-century Church of the Misericordia and the Church of Sao Vicente. The Star of the show is the religious sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, located high on a wooded slope 6km east of the city.
The Region
Please be aware that the location tab shown on the website is not based on the property's exact location; therefore, all location amenities are an approx of facilities, restaurants, and villages/towns you might find around the property. The property's exact location will be provided to you before arrival and might come along with some recommendations about the area and what to visit.
ABOUT MINHO
The areas of Minho extend from the Spanish border in the north, south to Porto and east to the mountains of Vila Real. It is a green and fertile area of rolling hills encompassing the great rivers Minho, Lima and Douro, and the National Park of Peneda Geres. The countryside of the region is typified by long, sandy beaches bordered by pine woods, picturesque villages nestling among vine-covered hills, and historic towns such as Amarante, Guimaraes, Barcelos, Ponte de Lima, and Viana do Castelo.
The area encompasses a range of postcard-worthy landscapes and features that could almost be Portugal in microcosm: dreamy river scenes, high mountains, rolling vineyards, beautiful historic towns, dramatic Atlantic beaches, ancient religious foundations and mysterious archaeological sites.
Then there's the bold, sharp and fruity Vinho Verde to consider. This young wine is fashioned from the fruit of kilometres of vineyards that wind along rivers, over foothills and into Minho mountain villages.
But while you're enjoying one of our fantastic villas in Minho, you may well want to take some time out from all that sun worship to explore everything else the region has to offer – so we've put together this handy travel guide to give you a little help and inspiration!
