Convento de Cabanas

Style

Brother nature

Setting

Mid-caminho miracle

Once home to Benedictine monks, Convento de Cabanas still calls to those seeking heavenly hush. The secluded 12th-century monastery in Viana do Castelo district has been diligently restored, atmospheric interiors filled with handpicked antiques and gardens coaxed into flower-filled glory. Afife beach is nearby and workshops with local artisans easily arranged, but leave time to embrace your inner hermit, letting days pass with oak-shaded river swims, spa treatments under the soaring church ceiling and homegrown meals on sun-warmed terraces.

Facilities

Rooms

Six suites.

Checkout

Noon. Check-in is at 3pm, but both are flexible, subject to availability.

More Details

Rates include a breakfast spread of freshly baked bread and pastries, local eggs, cured meats and produce picked from the convent’s garden.

Also

The Azalée room has step-free access and a wide-entry, walk-in shower with a custom-made ramp (supplied on request), but the historic architecture and uneven gardens at Convento de Cabanas may make it largely unsuitable if you have limited mobility.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

At the Hotel

Church, croquet lawn, rose garden, library, beach kit to borrow, paid laundry service and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: free glass-bottled water, bathrobes, slippers and Damana bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

It’s hard not to feel at home in the convent suites, with the salon, library and kitchen steps away and the river coursing by outside. For a more secluded stay, opt for one of the suites in the cottage — Hortensia’s hammam-style bath is especially enticing. Otherwise, just pick your favourite flower — all suites are named for blooms found in the hotel’s gardens.

Poolside

On sunny afternoons, seek sanctuary at the (seasonal) adults-only heated pool, set in a quiet corner of the gardens where butterflies flit among the hydrangeas and the church spire rises behind the trees.

Spa

There’s no spa, but staff can arrange massages and sound baths in the hush of the convent’s historic church, as well as yoga classes, held in either the gardens, on the terrace or in church.

Packing Tips

Centre your holiday playlist around fado superstar Amália Rodrigues — many of her songs draw their lyrics from the poetry of Pedro Homem de Melo, who lived at the Convento for several years.

Also

Careful consideration guided each step of the Convento’s conversion, from the years-long restoration carried out with the University of Porto down to the patterned headboards that Nathalie designed when she couldn’t find any to fit her vision.

Children

Welcome. A single sofa-bed can be made up in three rooms (Azalée, Camélia and Capucine) on request. The pool is for adults only.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

When the weather’s fine, staff can set up a table in the olive grove or flower gardens. For wintertime wooing, snag Magnolia’s romantic window seat for two.

Dress Code

Garb fit for frolicking in the gardens: flowing floral dresses, billowy linen and cashmere knits.

Hotel Restaurant

The Convento takes its culinary cue from its own history, adopting the same farm-to-table ethos as the monks who once made their home here. Menus focus on seasonal ingredients, either grown in the organic kitchen garden or sourced from small-scale local producers.

Magnolia is named for the 300-year-old tree that stands watch over the terrace: on chilly nights, cosy up in the dining room, as candlelight and crackling fire cast shadows on the historic stone walls.

From April to October, Café de Cabanas opens in a riverside spot right on the Camino. Out on the alfresco terrace, simple, homegrown lunches are soundtracked by babbling water and the happy chatter of pilgrims taking the weight off.

Breakfast is served in the guest-only Blue Kitchen; tuck in at the communal table or scurry off to the salon with your still-warm pastries. The kitchen stays open all day, so you can help yourself to tea, coffee or homegrown fruit whenever you fancy.

Hotel Bar

There’s no separate bar, but the Convento isn’t short of romantic places to pop a cork. Ask for a bottle to be brought out to a blossom-filled bower, take up residence on a river-gazing terrace or settle in the salon for a cosy hearthside nightcap.

Last Orders

Magnolia serves lunch from noon to 3pm, Thursday to Saturday, and from 11am on Wednesday and Sunday; dinner is from 7pm to 10pm, Thursday to Saturday. Between April and October, Café de Cabanas is open from 10am to 6pm, Wednesday to Sunday.

Room Service

Dishes can be served in your suite whenever the restaurant is open.

Planes

The hotel is around an hour and 15 minutes away from Porto Airport, and the same distance from Vigo Airport, across the Spanish border. Staff can arrange transfers from either on request.

Trains

Direct trains run from Porto’s São Bento station to Afife. From there, it’s under 10 minutes’ drive to the hotel; staff can arrange station transfers on request.

Automobiles

There’s a private carpark at the hotel, with free valet parking on request.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

If inspiration strikes on your strolls through the gardens, ask about a flower-arranging class with homegrown blooms or a talk on permaculture techniques with the groundskeeping volunteers. A cookery masterclass with the hotel's chef is just as rooted in the local land and traditions. Convento de Cabanas can link you up with some of the region’s skilled craftspeople, too — visit a traditional atelier for a jewellery-making masterclass, try your hand at pottery, or take a trip to Caminha antiques market. And this is, of course, vinho verde country, where a winery tour and tasting is always on the cards.

On Portugal’s Costa Verde, you have heaps of nature on your doorstep, too. Hikers can head out on a section of the Camino de Santiago, which runs right past the hotel. Listen closely at high tide and you might be able to hear the waves breaking on Praia de Afife, a golden-sand beach that’s a short drive away and known as a stellar surfing spot. And for the intrepidly inclined, staff can arrange guided adventures from horse riding to rafting in the region’s mist-swirled mountains.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .