Horta Soajo Cottage with Jacuzzi

We loved the stone house village and the river. The typical house had everything you needed and the beautiful garden was perfect when you want to relax in the sunny afternoon underneath a wine-leaf-ceiling in the garden. We even could use some herbs for cooking. The check in was easy and we got every useful information. It is very close to some restaurants and there is also a small grocery store.

The house corresponds to its description on this website: A lovely and cosy place which is equipped with everything one needs to enjoy a stay. We were welcomed by Rui, who was very friendly and communicative, also he provided a few welcoming 'gifts' such as cheese, bread, wine, fruit and cake. Unfortunately the place wasn't entirely clean - lots of (animal?) hair all over the place.

This cosy old cottage is located in the centre of saojo, a village that has it´s own charme and character, and so does the house. Everything was perfectly prepared by Alexandra, who was always helpful what questions ever had appeared. On site it was Rui who did the check in, opened his mind for whatever thoughts crossed my mind and revealed some local secrets of nature. All in all these were perfect days, and I hope that I´ll retourn some day!

We stayed in this house for 8 days at the end of March. We were absolutely delighted with this little house that has been renovated so lovingly. It is an authentic old stone house that has everything you need for your vacation in northern Portugal - including a very warm welcome. Communication was fast and friendly, and apart from the hostess we found bread, cheese, wine and cake waiting for us at our arrival. If you stay here outside the summer season, you will have to make use of the chimney to get warm (which is very cosy in the livin room). There is a radiator in the bedroom, which also worked very well. On hot summer days, the house should stay perfectly cool. Soajo offers some small shops for your everyday items and good restaurants to go out. It is an absolutely charming old village, and a good starting place to visit more old villages and the beautiful mountains. All in all, a 5-star vacation!

Very neat, well decorated and typical. The host was 5 stars The beds are a little harder than I was used to

We had a lovely time. Pedro had cheese and fruit and wine set ready, so we could immediately enjoy a nice Portugese lunch in the garden. The house is bigger than we expected. For anyone who likes traditional houses in a small quiet village, this is the place to be. Make sure you have your own car to drive in the wonderfull Peneda do Geres.

Pedro gave us an overwhelming warm welcome . We loved our stay in his beautiful house. Thanks very much for perfect hospitality! Milan, Susanne and Paul from Berlin

Nice rustic traditional Soajo house, full of quirky character and in a quiet situation, just metres from the main square. Soajo is a lovely small friendly mountain town withseveral bars and restaurants. A few shops with limited range, plus a butcher and bakery. Owner had provided an amazing range of food and drink to get us started - fruit, bread, rolls, butter, milk, cake, juice, wine and beer - absolutely superb and much appreciated - many thanks Xana. House is well equiped - but perhaps too many pots and dishes in the kitchen for the capacity of the house? Nice sunny courtyard to the front - but it would useful to have some plastic chairs and small table to enjoy in this area? Had some great walks around Soajo and swimming in the local river pools - especially the one at Ponte da Ladeira (recommended by Xana - thanks) - we spent two afternoons here - it's a bit of a trek down and up, but worth - we had the place to ourselves both times we were there. House had no wi-fi, so we had to use the local bar to check emails etc. This is not a problem because you can enjoy a cold beer at the same time! - but it would be great if wi-fi could somehow be provided in the house - we have all become very dependant on access to Google maps etc when on holiday to gain local information. We were touring by motorcycle and were able to park in the courtyard - perfect. We enjoyed North Portugal very much and hope to return sometime.

Characterful, beautiful building in the heart of Soajo with many thoughtful touches for our comfort. Xana was an angel.

Overall we had a pleasant week in Soajo with some highs and lows. The highs. Lovely authentic granite stone house. Really friendly neighbours. A generous welcome from the owner with cake, bread, wine and access to stores. The owner was flexible about arrival and leaving times which really helped especially as we had a late flight home. My children loved lounging on the hammock and feeding the cats. The local “Pocos” (Waterfall plunge pools) were wonderful and we really recommend finding Ponta de Ladeira for tranquil bathing. The lows. It’s important to note that in the week that we went temperatures reached over 35c daily also there was four of us staying, so the little house was full - but I think its important that future visitors should be prepared: Sleeping is very difficult; upstairs the bed is a pull down steel bed and very very noisy - we ended up having to sleep on the floor. There is no fan or any other method to keep cool on hot nights. Sleeping was not helped by the fact that the local young people like to race quad bikes late into the night (Until 3am most nights). The shower leaks badly and we had to put rugs in the room downstairs to catch the water. The small fridge finds it hard to keep things cool on a hot day and needs replacing. There is little room to store your food provisions, toiletries or clothing. The cats although lovely, can be an issue if, like me, you are badly allergic to them - I had to take antihistamines all week. Also we preferred not to use the small garden area as this is where the cats go to the toilet. You cannot park your car near the house, we had our hire car vandalised whilst parked in the town car park. Be prepared to find things for yourself as the tourist information office is unhelpful and there are no signs how to get to any of the Poco swimming areas. In summary if only two of you are staying, you ‘re OK with cats, know the local area and it is not too hot - then you’ll have a lovely time staying here. But if it’s hot and the house is full you may well find it uncomfortable.