Discover a unique and cosy riverside home with a fully working mill and charming interior.
What a magical spot!
“What a magical spot! The mill itself is beautifully cared for and very comfortable. The owners are very charming. Falling asleep to the sounds of singing frogs, and waking up for a pre-breakfast swim are two of the highlights. It is a popular local s...”
“What a magical spot! The mill itself is beautifully cared for and very comfortable. The owners are very charming. Falling asleep to the sounds of singing frogs, and waking up for a pre-breakfast swim are two of the highlights. It is a popular local s...”
With a fully working mill and waterwheel and a delightful interior, Villa Estora offers an utterly unique and cosy home on the riverside.
This romantic getaway home is anything but ordinary – the working mill itself has been preserved while the rustic stone walls and tiled roof are evidence of the careful restoration completed in 1983. A cosy and spacious interior welcomes you inside the villa.
The furniture is made from high-quality wood and includes a charming dining table, a comfortable bench and a small coffee table surrounded by chairs. There is an open fireplace where you can enjoy a log fire on a cool evening.
Traditional, colourful patterned items adorn the walls, complementing the rustic stone behind them and the exposed wooden beams in the ceiling.
There is a fully-equipped, wonderfully traditional stone kitchen to ensure that you’re able to prepare your meals when you don’t fancy the lovely restaurants nearby. The beautiful living area overlooks the gentle river running below via a set of balcony doors.
There is one bedroom with a delightful solid wood bed frame and a matching set of bedside tables, also enjoying an extensive collection of windows looking out to the beautiful scene below. The spacious bathroom includes a shower, WC and bidet. The design is rustic and charming like the rest of the home and is thoroughly clean and pleasant.
Of course, the most exciting part is what’s beyond the four walls of the villa, with an original working mill and waterwheel joining the home to the river itself. The villa is one of only a handful of old granite and more modern houses which line the stream to create something of a small community here, connected by the quaint Roman bridge.
The Arga mountain range is the perfect backdrop to this charming village, offering many opportunities for exploring nearby whether on foot or by bikes which can be rented across the region. At 7.8km from the nearest town, Villa Estora will allow you to enjoy the real lifestyle of rural Portugal and taste the clean air of the countryside while retaining some available amenities.
What Oliver loves...
The enchanting landscape which surrounds the villa is an absolute treat to view from home and nearby – be sure to explore it!
There is an authentic sense of the history of the mill thanks to a careful restoration in 1983, creating a perfect blend of traditional style with modern comforts including central heating, as well as an open fireplace to keep you warm on the cool evenings
Ideally located to access the Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês, you can enjoy a lovely day of exploring Portugal’s only National Park – just on the doorstep!
Fall asleep to the soothing sound of the running river below, and wake to the gentle birdsong in the garden as you embrace the rural way of life!
What you should know
Unfortunately, there’s no capacity for children or extra guests here as there are no extra beds or cribs available
There’s no internet or WiFi available in Villa Estora – use this opportunity to enjoy nature, fresh air and a more straightforward way of life!
We must warn you there’s a church nearby with a bell that rings every 15 minutes – it’s a charming part of the local culture and a gentle tune, but it might bother some guests more than others
Meticulously selected. Rigorously approved. Our experts have reviewed over 100,000 holiday homes; only the very best make it into our collection.
4.7/5 Rated Excellent
Voted one of the Best Villa Rental Companies in the World by Condé Nast Traveller readers for nine years running.
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The Local Area
About the surrounding area of Villa Estora
<1hr to Airport
Waterfront
Rural Location
Enveloped in vineyards and rolling hills of green, Villa Estora is located in the beautiful Minho region, in the foothills of Serra da Arga mountains.
Situated near to the spa town of Gerês, the traditional village of Lindoso and the beautiful old village of Ponte de Lima, you are ideally located to enjoy the quaint communities as well as the slow pace of life of rural Portugal. The town of Braga, the capital of the district, is about 35 minutes away and hosts many relics of the region’s diverse history.
Minho is a fantastic, mostly rural region on the northernmost Atlantic tip of Portugal, bordering the Spanish region of Galiza, with which it shares many attributes. Minho is perhaps most famous as the home of the Vinho Verde, a crisp, dry white wine (although as the name suggests, it is, in fact, green!) best enjoyed with a local fish dish.
Very lovely, and very affordable. Minho is particularly special as it features the country's only National Park, the Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês, which is less than half an hour from Villa Estora, with around 72,000 ha of land. It is a mountainous nature reserve that includes prehistoric remains, walking trails, rugged hills as well as deer, wolves and golden eagles!
Portugal itself is a small, fascinating country at the most Western point of mainland Europe. The capital, Lisbon, is known for its lively nightlife, with endless bars and clubs full of fun-loving locals and tourists alike, but also has plenty of fascinating history (check out Belém, jam-packed with monuments!) and undulating terrain, famously termed the ‘city of the seven hills’.
From Lisbon, it is very quick to travel by the domestic high-speed train line to the city of Braga, which will connect you reasonably quickly to Villa Estora although both Porto and Vigo airport is within 40 miles!
With a vast coastline with the mighty Atlantic Ocean, Portugal is a real paradise for the keen surfer, or indeed even those looking to try it for the first time. And for those less keen on surfing, the beaches of Portugal are still well worth a visit for their beautifully clear waters and beautiful sands.
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!
