3 bedroom rural villa

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Farmhouse |3 bedrooms |Sleeps 6

Lousa in Coimbra

from £68 / night

£472–£630 / weekBookable online

This property can be booked securely online within a few minutes. Just click on the ‘Check availability and book’ button.

3 nights minimum stay

Changeover flexible

5 out of 5

2 reviews | Write a review

Key info  Balcony/terrace, car essential, private garden, no pets allowed

Check availability and book

About the home

“Casa da Quelha” technically means “house at the end of the road”, these rustic stone barns are actually situated at the heart of a rural Portuguese hamlet. Once upon a time there was another route into Ribeira do Conde; you can still see where the clearing once was directly opposite the house. The absence of the old road keeps the village calm and peaceful with the only through traffic being the local farmers and ramblers. We are nestled in the stunning Beiras Mountains surrounded by olive groves, fruit trees and secluded woodland. Beyond the garden you can access a private stretch of the River Ceira.

We are in a perfect spot for photographers, walkers, ramblers and sun seekers. It’s a great vantage point to take in “Pure” Portugal, explore the northern and central regions as well as the historic university city of Coimbra, the Silver Coast, Lisbon or Porto.

The house itself consists to two sympathetically converted stone barns, a galleried hallway and courtyard joins to the two 18th century buildings to form a spacious three bedroom villa. The first building houses a farmhouse kitchen, living area and en suite double bedroom. There is a huge veranda in the upper level with breath taking mountain views from which you can hear the sound of the river flowing. Below the veranda is a sheltered lower terrace ideal for relaxing in the shade, perfect for escaping the full force of the scorching summer sun. The second building houses the family bathroom and two balconied double bedrooms upstairs with an en suite on the ground floor.

Whilst the farmhouse is fresh in summer, there is a large wood burning stove for cosy winter nights. Full oil-fired central heating, double glazing and window shutter ensure that the farmhouse stays snug when the weather cools.

Outside there is gated parking for four cars. A large, split level back garden stretches to the old dry river course and a forested island leading to a secluded, sunny, riverside spot. Original stone steps lead to the lower level of the garden, there is a considerable change in height which keeps the house elevated and free from flood-risk.

Internet Access: Lousã Library offers a free service

Nearest River Beach: We are close to Serpins, Ceira and Gois River Beaches; we also have a private stretch of the Rio Ceira at the bottom of the garden and a gorge a short ramble away. There is a public swimming pool in Camping Serpins and another by the look-out Cerra do Candosa.

Nearest City: University City of Coimbra, steeped in history with a vibrant nightlife.

Shops: The hamlet of Ribeira do Conde is situated in the Lousã borough of Serpins, which has its own Post Office, Bakers, Pharmacy, Coaches, Taxi, Cafes and Shops and a market .

Lousã has a wider selection of shops, its own market and all the leading banks and supermarkets. Coimbra beyond has the shopping you would expect of a city from designer shops to independents and a good number of malls.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
There is a utility room giving access to laundry facilities and a unit height fridge/freezer in the kitchen.

Further details outdoors:
Gated parking for four cars, further cars can be accommodated at street level.

Our garden backs on to the old river course, beyond this there is a small wooded area which can be crossed to reach a private stretch of the Rio Ceira. This is shallow enough to wade, walk and rest by.

Further details

Due to the different levels of the garden small children will require supervision. All beds are doubles, so they are double rather than twin rooms.

Photos

 

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Front of house

 

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Side of house and gated parking

 

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Downstairs bedroom (with en-suite)

 

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En-suite for downstairs bedroom

The Costa de Prata/Silver Coast/Central Portugal region

Wikipedia describes Central Portugal as:
One of Portugal's richest regions by the abundance of natural streams of water, forests, arable land and the long coast line, the Centro region has some of the most economically dynamic and densely populated municipalities of the country. Excellent transportation links with the Lisbon Metropolitan Area to the south and the Porto Metropolitan Area to the north, making ocean, rail and motorway access possible via containers, have all contributed to making manufacturing the principal industry, found mainly in the littoral strip, which is one of the largest industrialized areas in Portugal. Important products include motor vehicles, food, electrical appliances, machinery, chemicals, and paper. Higher education, research and development, healthcare, information technologies, biotechnology, forestry, agriculture, fishing, and tourism, are major activities in he region. The wine regions of Dão DOC and Bairrada DOC are among the most reputed in Portugal.

Stretching out to the West is the Silver Coast, one of the largest expanses of coastlines in Europe covering some 200 kilometres. Our nearest beach is Figueira da Foz and there are some beautiful coastal villages to be discovered. Lake Zêzere also offers stunning views and excellent walking terrain.

The Coimbra / Lousa area

Coimbra is a University City. It is home to the oldest university in the Portuguese speaking world and one of Europe's oldest (Wikipedia). Rich in architecture visit Coimbra lists the following points of interest:
University of Coimbra
Old Cathedral (Sé Velha)
Convent of Santa Clara-a-Nova
Almedina Tower (Torre de Almedina)
The Patio of the Inquisition (Pátio da Inquisição)
New Cathedral (Sé Nova)

Coimbra has a vibrant nightlife and is awash with restaurants, bars and clubs. You can discover more at TurismodeCoimbra: http://www.turismodecoimbra.pt/.

How to get there

3 bedroom rural villa What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

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The best airports to fly into are Lisbon and Oporto, both are served by Ryanair and Easyjet from locations around the UK.

You do have the option of catching from either city to Coimbra then hiring a car to drive the last length of the journey. Directions from Oporto Airport are as follows:


DIRECTIONS TO RIBEIRA DO CONDE, SERPINS (POST CODE: 3200-341) FROM PORTO

? On leaving Hertz depot turn right. Turn right at “T” junction after approx 50 yards. Turn left at “T” junction after 50 yards. Take first turning on right signed Porto on the IP24.

? Continue to follow Porto signs until you see signs for Lisboa (Lisbon) or Sul (South) A1. Follow either of these signs and you will join the main motorway heading south (A1). You should reach the A1 after approx 15 minutes.

NOTE: The airport is actually in Matos, which is on the outskirts of Porto. If you follow signs to Gaia and Matosinhos they will put you in the right direction to pick up signs for Lisboa.

• Shortly after joining the A1 you will go through a Portagem (Portuguese for toll gate for the motorway). You MUST stop and get a ticket from the automatic machine. Do not go through the lanes with a green and white symbol (“RESERVADO”) as these are automatic readers and do not dispense tickets.

Note: Failure to get a ticket will result in you paying for the full length of the motorway (Approx 40-50 Euros!).

• Approx 1 hour later you should reach Mealhada Services. This is where we usually stop for a break.
• Continue along the A1 until you see signs for Coimbra.
• Leave motorway at Junction 12.

NOTE: The Portagem for getting off the motorway is shortly after you leave the motorway. Make sure you don’t use the “Via Verde” lane, but go to the toll booth. Have approx 7 Euros ready (they don’t like big notes!)

• Keep right after “portagem” and join dual carriageway towards Coimbra (N231).
• Carry on to roundabout and cross it (2nd exit), keeping in right-hand lane, which is signed for Santa Clara and Retail Park. This is a filter lane and will take you straight off in the right direction.
• Keep in right hand lane, over bridge towards Santa Clara – there are speed control lights at bottom of bridge.
• There are ongoing road works down this stretch of road, so the layout is subject to change! The road splits at the end and you need to turn left towards the city centre, however keep in the right hand lane as you turn left through the traffic lights.
• After the traffic lights move over into the far right lane and take the exit, signed for N17 VN Poiares.
• This road runs parallel to the River Mondego on your left.
• Keep going straight on, crossing a large roundabout (2nd exit) and follow the “VN Poiares” and “Lousã” sign.
• You will go over the white suspension bridge.
• After the bridge move over into far right lane and take the exit (keeping in left hand lane), following “VN Poiares” and “Lousã” sign.
• This will take you onto the Coimbra by pass.
• At the end of the by-pass turn right at the roundabout, following VN Poiares and Lousã sign.
• This is the main N17 road.
• After approx 15/20 mins you should see a sign for Foz de Arouce and Serpins on the right. There is a bright yellow restaurant called “Mimosa” on the left just before the turn-off. Take this road which dips a bit and you come to a narrow bridge, where you theoretically have right of way.
• At Foz de Arouce, as you come up to traffic lights, take the turning on the left signed to Serpins – watch out for oncoming traffic from the bridge if you are not queuing behind traffic at the lights and can turn left without waiting for them to turn green. You will come into Casal de Ermio (this is the place with the red and white church ahead of you). At the “T” junction turn left then go straight on, following the sign for Serpins. After going through Casal de Ermio, which is quite narrow in places, you will pass through Casal De San Antonio and then into Serpins. Cross the roundabout, passing the station on your right then bear right over what were the railway tracks and follow the road that leads to the bridge – this is single width.

• Go over the bridge and turn left. At the next junction turn left up a slight hill (signed for Vila Nova da Ceira?). You will pass a turning on your left for Ribeira do Cimeira (where the swimming lagoon is) and then through “Amiais”.

• The next turning on the left is Ribeira do Conde. This is a single track road. Follow the road round until you reach the yellow and white house on your left.

Drive carefully, take your time and enjoy your hols.

Activities near Coimbra

Reviews

Review: 1 to 2 of 2

22 Sep 2012

“excellent holiday” Very good all round holiday having never been in a inland location before did not know what to expect.Location very good and the house had all requirements you would need for a relaxing holiday,sun... more

07 Jun 2012

“A relaxing getaway in a beautiful location” We had a wonderful 5 days at the house, with plenty of room and good facilities. Highlights were the sun terrace, very spacious rooms, picking fresh herbs, and the river at the bottom of the garden. The house is set in stunning countryside, a perfect location for walks and dips in the river. It's peaceful and quiet - we hardly saw any people or cars for the whole 5 days. Lots of good extras, like a BBQ and washing machine. A car is very helpful for travel from the airport (an easy 2 hour drive from Porto) and to get to the supermarket/local market/further afield. Loved it - very highly recommended

Review: 1 to 2 of 2

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Rental prices

Prices for group size 6
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Peak	1 Jul 12	2 Sep 12	630£ 630	-	-	3 Nights
Off Peak	2 Sep 12	1 Jul 13	473£ 473	-	-	3 Nights
Off Peak	1 Jul 13	23 Mar 14	473£ 473	-	-	3 Nights
Peak	23 Mar 14	27 Apr 14	630£ 630	-	-	1 Week

The property's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

Availability

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