Conversas de Alpendre

Style

Porch life

Setting

Atlantic edge

Conversas de Alpendre in the eastern Algarve is a heavenly homestay where you’ll soon be part of the family. The name translates as ‘porch conversations’, but charming chats with your kind, caring hosts are to be had throughout the fabled farmhouse and its gorgeously rambling grounds, out in the orchards or by the saltwater swimming pool. Even the chef is up for a discussion: tell him about a few favourite ingredients and he’ll disappear off to the market, returning to cook you classic Portuguese cuisine, with a few borrowed bits from Spain (the border is a 20-minute cruise down the coast).

Facilities

Номера

11, including 10 suites.

Checkout

Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm, also flexible on request.

Больше сведений

Rates usually include breakfast.

Also

The hotel isn’t easily navigable for wheelchair users.

Hotel Closed

The hotel closes over Christmas and New Year, opening for a few days in between.

Бесплатный доступ в интернет

Прачечная

Рестораны на территории

At the Hotel

Free WiFi throughout, bicycles to borrow. In rooms: TV, air-conditioning, Nespresso coffee machine, tea-making kit, minibar, free bottled water and Castelbel bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

This one’s easy: we love the carob Tree Houses, six metres above ground and looking out to sea, with a plunge pool, terrace and views of the Atlantic as you shower. If you’re holidaying en famille, you’ll probably opt for the Family Apartment, which sleeps six and has a kitchenette. And if you want to ogle orange groves and the ocean from your Jacuzzi-toting terrace, book a Suite with Terrace.

Poolside

There’s a heated saltwater pool out in the gardens, with hammocks and sofas to sequester for snoozes in the shade.

Spa

There’s no spa, just a little hut where a therapist can be summoned for treatments, including massages performed using local almond cream.

Packing Tips

Bring billowing clothes, buckets and spades, and wetsuits if you’re planning to surf the legendary Algarve waves.

Also

The team can arrange golf classes, personal trainers and anything else you can think of (within reason).

Дети

Little Smiths are welcome in either the Superior Suites, the Apartment and the Warehouse. Babysitting is available on request.

Галерея

Food & Drink

Top Table

If you want to up the romance levels, the family will set up a table for secluded suppers in the garden; or nab the hanging-basket chair that everyone’s got their eye on.

Дресс-код

The whitewashed finca and bamboo chairs are the backdrop – so taste the rainbow.

Hotel Restaurant

There’s no formal restaurant, but the chef will cook supper in the dining room for anyone who orders it from Tuesday until Saturday. You’ll let him know – before he heads out to the market every morning – whether you’re in the mood for fish, meat or vegetables (along with any allergies or dislikes), and then sit back and enjoy the surprise menu, which will include hot and cold starters, a main and a pudding. The food is classically Portuguese but with a little influence from over the border in Spain – expect dishes such as fennel-marinated fish and steaks cooked on a hot stone. Breakfast is a similar spread of fresh, organic and local produce.

Hotel Bar

There’s no separate bar, but you can order drinks in the dining room, where snacks such as salads and bruschettas are also served all afternoon.

Last Orders

Breakfast is from 8.30am until the last guest wakes up, at which point lunch is served until 6pm. Dinner (as long as you’ve pre-ordered it) is between 7pm and 11pm. Drinks are served from 10am to 10pm.

Planes

Faro is the Algarve’s main air hub; it’s a 45-minute drive from the hotel. Transfers are €75 each way.

Trains

There’s a train station two kilometres away in Cacela, from where you can travel to other towns along the coast, including Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António. The hotel will fetch you from this station for free, as long as you give them two days’ notice.

Automobiles

It’s about a 15-minute journey to Tavira, the nearest town, and a couple of kilometres from Cacela Velha and Fábrica Beach. A car will come in handy if you want to explore the Algarve’s Atlantic coast, and there’s free parking 100 metres from the main house.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

The family is on hand to set up everything from golf lessons and horse rides to wine tasting and spa treatments. You’re also going to want to spend some time enjoying the gardens, orchards and pool. Set sail on the Ria Formosa lagoon with a boat trip arranged by the hotel, and don’t miss a trip to Tavira to check out its tiled houses, cobbled streets, ornate churches and Moorish influences. Formosamar can arrange activities within the Ria Formosa natural park, including kayaking, bird- and dolphin-watching, and surfboard hire. The Algarve is famous for its dramatic beaches, and two of the best swimming spots are Manta Rota and Ilha de Tavira.

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. .