The Finest of Portugal: Resorts, Restaurants and vineyards

The year 2021 was a great year, many were the awards that made the name of Portugal be spoken in the world. Restaurants, luxury resorts/villas, wineries, and cellars, conquered these awards for their distinctive, unique character and quality service.

The pool at Casa Grande at Ventozelo

Portuguese cities are another victory, Porto and Lisbon were several times voted as top cities in some of the most talked-about tourism publications in the world of travel & leisure, and we couldn't be prouder of the achievements. Come with us on this journey through the best of Portugal.

Portugal was voted the best country in the world by readers of Condé Nast Traveler.

Choosing the best country in the world is not simple, maybe that's why the list of winners has 20 names, and Portugal is the first. For us, who have the privilege of living in Portuguese territory and exploring its charms every day, there were never any doubts. Now, we have not only the agreement of international travelers but the distinction (or several) from one of the most prestigious travel publications in the world.

HOTELS AND RESORTS 

The Top Resort Hotels in Portugal (according to the World's Best Awards survey by Travel & Leisure) 

Penha Longa Resort, Sintra, Portugal

This admired and sumptuous hotel combines the best of both worlds - it is just a short drive from bustling and vibrant Lisbon yet situated in a wild setting outside historic Sintra.

Marvel at every corner of this vibrant hotel, which boasts two golf courses, a spa, and an infinity pool, plus seven colossal restaurants - two of which have a Michelin star.

Six Senses Douro Valley, Lamego, Portugal

A hotel full of luxury, history, and, with an enviable location, right in the heart of Douro Valley.

With a modern decor, in which pieces of Portuguese history are combined, the hotel promises to take all its guests on a true dream trip through the flavors and knowledge of Portugal.

National Geographic Traveler Hotel Awards 2021

Ventozelo Hotel & Quinta reached TOP 3 of the best gastronomic hotels in the world, selected by the National Geographic Traveler Hotel Awards 2021. “Among the 39 hotels awarded in the annual awards of this renowned international publication, Ventozelo was the only Portuguese hotel to be awarded for its work developed in 2020”, says the company in a statement.

Ventozelo Hotel & Quinta, in Ervedosa do Douro, in the municipality of São João da Pesqueira, in the Douro, is the most recent and only Portuguese hotel to appear in the National Geographic Traveler Hotel Awards 2021, receiving the distinction of one of the three best gastronomic hotels in the world. This rural hotel achieves a perfect combination of the region's historical and cultural heritage, with wine tourism activities and gastronomic experiences.

The most recent prize was awarded Ventozelo due to its prized cuisine, the Cantina de Ventozelo, run by Chef Miguel Castro e Silva, which uses endogenous seasonal products for typical regional dishes. And this will have been decisive in the attribution of the prize in the category “Gourmet Getaway: Best Gourmet Hotel”, where it managed to be among the first three places.

São Lourenço do Barrocal

An incredible luxury retreat amidst nature, offering on-farm accommodation, luxury spa treatments, and outdoor activities.

The hotel is associated with an agricultural project with biological certification.

WORLD'S BEST VINEYARDS of 2021

Quinta do Crasto, Douro Valley

This space opened in 2012 and here visitors can buy wines and olive oils from Quinta do Crasto, as well as regional products such as jams, honey, olives, and homemade cookies. The swimming pool, by the architect Eduardo Souto Moura, winner of the Pritzker Prize in 2011, is located just above the Douro river. Quinta do Castro is located on the right bank of the River Douro, between Régua and Pinhão.

Quinta da Aveleda, Vinho Verde

The history of the Quinta da Aveleda estate is lost in time, but there are countless records of this estate after the 16th century. Aveleda is a name that spans several generations. The first records of the sale of bottled wine date back to 1870, with Manuel Pedro Guedes. Since then, the successive generations of the family have been devoted to the production of high-quality wines, preserving this family legacy.

Soalheiro, Vinho Verde

A secular, innovative farm that seeks to improve every year. From wines, infusions, accommodation, and regional tasting, there are many activities proposed by the winery.

Quinta do Vallado, Douro Valley

Quinta do Vallado welcomes its guest in its comfortable Wine Hotel since 2005. It belonged to the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira and remains to this day as property of her descendants. It is located on the banks of the River Corgo, a tributary of the Douro River, right next to the river mouth near the town of Peso da Régua. For nearly 200 years the Quinta do Vallado was primarily engaged in the production of Port wine, subsequently marketed by Casas Ferreira (that belonged to the Family). After Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, her great grand-son - Jorge Viterbo Ferreira and her great-great-grandson - Jorge Cabral Ferreira - were responsible for the great development and growth of the Quinta.

The cellar, built-in 2009, uses the latest technology together with the traditional methods of winemaking. The grapes arrive packed in small boxes to avoid crushing and overheating. Then they are put on a screening belt that carries them for the stemmer/crusher. They fall due to gravity into the stainless steel fermentation tanks with programmable reassemblage and automatic temperature control. They stay in the tanks between 7-9 days with a temperature between 26 and 28 degrees. In some of the tanks, a Robot does the mechanical treading of the grapes. A small percentage of the grapes are still trodden in granite mills, using the traditional method.

Quinta da Pacheca - Douro Valley

The first reference to the Quinta is in a document dated the 17th April 1738, where it is called "the Pacheca" because its owner was then D. Mariana Pacheco Pereira. But it was only in 1903 that D. José Freire de Serpa Pimentel decided to develop his growing interest in oenology, acquiring the property to devote himself to wine production. In June 2012, the majority of the capital was acquired by Maria do Céus Gonçalves and Paulo Pereira, a Portuguese entrepreneur based in France. The Quinta became part of a modern, consistent and dynamic business group, opening up to a new development cycle. The Wine House Hotel of Quinta da Pacheca is the ideal retreat in the Douro, where peace, tranquillity, elegance, and comfort are just some of the adjectives to describe the unique facilities prepared for you.

Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo - Douro Valley

Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo is a place of extreme beauty in the heart of the Douro and it's been owned by the Amorim family since 1999. But this property is before 1764 and historical research confirms it as a great land belonging to the Portuguese Royal Family. The historic sites that are still preserved today and opened for visitors reveal all this: the creek, the gazebo, the stone mark of the Marquis of Pombal dated 1758, the cellar's crest, two chapels, and three secular orchards.

The swimming pool invites you to for a dive between vineyards and the chapel has in it the whole picturesque ambiance of this place. The store in the main building and the Tasting Room with panoramic views over the river and the barrels room, are always open to welcome different activities and are the perfect finish of any visit.

RESTAURANTS

Belcanto, José Avillez

Put your hands together for No.42 of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021: Belcanto in Lisbon, Portugal, by José Avillez. Belcanto Restaurant remains the only Portuguese among the top 50 in the world. “May this distinction help Portugal to strengthen its position as a tourist and gastronomic destination of excellence and give more prominence to Portuguese cuisine”, reads the restaurant's social networks.