Casa Venade Portugal

Casa Venade is a delightful, traditional villa built on a wonderful sloping plot in a peaceful location just outside of the gorgeous, historic town of Caminha. It boasts four bedrooms, two living spaces, a lovely garden with a pool and stunning panoramic views over the wooded slopes. With generous spaces, an excellent location and within easy reach of many of the Minho’s treats, guests can relax, enjoy the Portuguese sunshine and make wonderful holiday memories at Casa Venade.
It is roughly 100 km from the beautiful city of Porto to the mouth of the River Minho. The entire northwestern province is known as the Minho. It boasts picture postcard landscapes with heavenly river scenes, high mountains, rolling vineyards, stunning historic towns, dramatic Atlantic beaches, mysterious archaeological sites and ancient religious monuments. Many of its historic towns host wonderful events including the atmospheric weekly market at Barcelos which is a cross between a medieval fair and a farmer’s market, carnivals in Viana do Castelo and many others. In central Minho, the Lima River idles through a succession of pretty towns with glorious scenery. The Lima valley then gives way to the mountains of Portugal’s only national park, the Parque Nacional da Peneda-Geres. Slightly further north, the Minho River offers many water adventures and superb vistas. The whole region offers delicious local wines and fantastic gastronomic meals. Caminha is a true delight with a stunning town square enjoying its famous clock tower and the ancient Town Hall, noteworthy churches and chapels and a wonderful selection of delicious eateries. Caminha is just 7 km from Casa Venade.  
Casa Venade is built over two storeys with the ground floor opening onto the main terrace and swimming pool and the lower ground floor opening onto a lower part of the garden. The lower ground floor is home to a spacious living room, a games room, a laundry and one of the villa’s bedrooms. The youngsters in your group will enjoy disappearing to play some competitive table tennis. The bedroom offers a comfy double bed and a bathroom with a shower. The laundry room also contains an additional fridge freezer.
Upstairs, the ground floor boasts a spacious living and dining room, a modern kitchen and three bedrooms. The living space is split into a dining area and a living area where comfy sofas sit opposite the television, DVD player and the modern log burning stove. Doors open to the terrace for the pool and alfresco dining. The large kitchen enjoys all the appliances you need for your self-catering stay and a handy breakfast table. There is a door to the garden and barbecue area. The three bedrooms on the ground floor are comprised of two doubles and one twin. One of the doubles enjoys an adjacent bathroom and the other two share another bathroom.
The outside space of Casa Venade is wonderful with spectacular views. The main terrace offers alfresco dining furniture and deck chairs. The private swimming pool is generously sized at 8m x 4m. Guests can laze on the loungers on the terrace or lawns, enjoying their holiday books and the Portuguese sunshine. There is an excellent barbecue area, a hedge that offers total privacy and wonderful hilly vistas. Casa Venade is a delightful villa, nestled in the lush countryside just outside the historic town of Caminha and close to some wonderful Minho beaches. Caminha is located near the mouth of the River Minho which separates Portugal and Spain. This ancient, characterful town boasts many historical buildings including the 12th century national monument, Torre do Relogio de Caminha. This is the clock tower which forms part of the old city walls. You can climb to the top of the tower to enjoy fabulous panoramic views of the town. The lively main town square, the Praca Conselheiro Silva Torres, boasts many cafes and restaurants and an interesting fountain which used to supply drinking water for the town. The 16th century Igreja da Misericordia was once a hospital and hostel for pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela. The grandest church is the Igreja Matriz at the end of Rua Direita. It boasts some incredible tiles from the seventeenth century. The ruins of the Fort of Insua stand on a tiny island in the middle of the estuary, originally built in the fifteenth century to defend the entrance to the river. The island was inhabited by monks from the 14th century.
There are some excellent beaches close by, including Foz do Minho Beach which is located next to the River Minho, a wonderful area of magnificent natural beauty, fine golden sands and delightful walking trails. Just around the corner is another sandy wonder, Praia do Camarido followed by Praia de Moledo and Vila Praia de Ancora.
Day trip options from Casa Venade include trips to Spain. A ferry connects the two banks of the River Minho plus there are bridges further along the river. The delightful town of Tui can be found on the northern side of the Minho River, in Galicia. It boasts a beautiful historic centre and an excellent range of gourmet dining as well as excellent shops. Tui is located south of the Pontevedra province sitting opposite the Portuguese town of Valenca. The towns are connected by a nineteenth century bridge. Valenca do Minho is located on the hillside overlooking the left bank of the Minho and on the main road that links the Spanish Santiago de Compostela with Porto. Tourists flock to the town to buy embroidered tablecloths and sheets, the speciality of the town.
Casa Venade’s surrounding countryside and rivers are fabulous, brimming with Camarido pine trees and picturesque walking trails. Miardouro da Fraga is an astonishing viewpoint with stunning views of the Minho River and the surrounding landscape. Another excellent viewpoint is at Santo Antao. The Serra D’Arga Mountain offers sensational vistas as well as beautiful natural lagoons and waterfalls which eventually lead to the golden sands of Vila Praia de Ancora. Visitors can also enjoy horse riding, rafting and canoeing and golf on an excellent 18-hole course nestled in the hills outside the Roman town of Ponte de Lima, roughly 40 minutes drive away.
Ponte de Lima is one of the most characterful and picturesque towns of Northern Portugal. It sits on the southern banks of the Lima River. The location has been the main river crossing since the Romans constructed a bridge in 1AD. There is a delightful array of ancient houses, grand religious buildings, pretty plazas and museums. There are also a number of colourful flower gardens and the town is surrounded with beautiful natural scenery. Ponte de Lima is an excellent centre for adventure activities such as the Ecovia cycling route, kayaking along the Lima River, mountain biking or hiking in the Serra D’Arga or birdwatching in the Lagoas de Bertiandos. You can river bathe in Labruja.
Further south, Braga is regarded as one the main religious centres of Portugal, with the oldest cathedral and many Gothic churches. Every hour you will hear a cocophony of different church bells ringing out! It is the third largest city of Portugal and is a joy to explore. Braga is an enthralling university city and the setting for Bom Jesus do Monte, a fine monument. The historic centre is fully pedestrianised. There are pretty city gardens, charming plazas and busy shopping streets. At Excellence Luxury Villas we pride ourselves on going that little bit further for our guests. From private chefs to babysitters we can help you arrange those little extras that make it a truly memorable holiday. Simply fill in the
concierge request form or contact Excellence Luxury Villas Concierge Team who will be happy to help. We can typically help you arrange any of the following:
– Maid service/extra cleaning- Private chef/cook/catering- Welcome hamper/pre-stocked fridge- Local day-trips or tours- Airport transfers- Babysitting/childcare services
Simply fill in the concierge request form or contact Excellence Luxury Villas Concierge Team.
Please note that all extras are subject to availability and must be requested in advance of the holiday (prices on request). Due to some rural/remote locations, not all services will be available at all properties. However, we will always do our best to fulfil your requests!