What our guests had to say

We have asked our guests for a small comment and hopefully a holiday photo that would illustrate their stay with us. This is what they told us!

"We stayed at Casa da Olga in September 2008 and what a wonderful time to go with perfect weather and what a beautiful place! The cottage itself was immaculate with everything you needed for your stay. The quality of the bed linen, towels etc is that easily of a high starred hotel and rarely found in self-catering accommodation and the kitchen facilities served every need.
Praia das Macas is a lovely village with a superb and clean beach which is clearly very safe for children. There are a good range of places to eat out and an icecream bar that must be visited for its delicious homemade icecream. The cottages are ideally situated for access into the neighbouring town of Sintra which boasts many interesting sites for all generations and Lisbon is only a short train journey away (and only 3 euros 50 for a return!) with. We will definitely be returning to Lisbon Coast Cottages next year if we can! Thank you very much Ralph and Ana!!!"
Rebecca & Simon Whittaker, UK – September 2008

 

"First we had a great time with you and really enjoyed the area and the cottage. The cottage was very well appointed and convenient to the beach and local facilities.
We were impressed with Praia das Maçãs which we found to be family friendly and it was less commercial then others areas locally which we also liked and appreciated.
Eating out was not expensive and there was plenty of choice in the village. If we didn't want to dress for dinner that wasn't a problem either. Lots of choice for the children and grown ups on the menu as well. Equally the local take away serviced really excellent food as well.
There was plenty to do in the area for all tastes as well. Sintra is a must (tunnels and floating books most especially) but there are also many other interesting places to visit as well."
Paul, Teresa, Alice & Emma Matthews, England – August 2008

 

"We all had a great time at Vila Arcos. What a perfect location with beaches, cafes and shops all within walking distance and of course the surf lodge. What made it even better for me was the efficiency of the airport transfers and of course the personal service you provided.
It was also a bonus not to have to hire a car. Going to Sintra on the bus was a breeze, trying to park there would not have been fun. All in all a very memorable holiday and look forward to seeing you again."
Will, Emily, Jack & Sam Jennings, England – August 2008

 

"We had a fabulous two weeks in your cottage. Praia das Maçãs is a pretty & chilled village and your cottage is nicely tucked away yet still very handy for the beach & restaurants. The villa was very clean and tidy, you were both lovely and friendly and we had the most relaxing time. What was also excellent was the ease and speed of access to Lisbon, Sintra and the airport whilst being in a rural village on the Atlantic coast. We will definitely be recommending you and your cottages to our friends."
Jen & Jon Chadwick, London, UK – June 2008

 

 

"We usually stay on campsites in France for our holidays, but this year decided to try Lisbon and were very happy to find Ralph and Ana's cottages in Praia das Maçãs. The accommodation was lovely and very convenient for the beach and restaurants. We enjoyed driving out to discover different unspoiled beaches and try the surf up and down the coast and especially liked the Guincho beaches.
Sintra is also a fascinating place with the Quinta da Regaleira a must for exploring with the kids and we enjoyed finding our own route up to the Moorish Castle at the top of the hills.
Lisbon was also interesting especially the aquarium at the old Expo site which has been developed with several activities and a big shopping centre! Should we decide to visit this area again (which is highly likely) we would definitely look up Ralph and Ana's accommodation as they were superb hosts."
Cath, Ian, Amy and Billy, St.Albans, UK – August 2007

 

 

"Phelim and I had a lovely time in Portugal. Your wee cottage is absolutely lovely and you made our stay very comfortable there. I honestly can't think of anything that I could say to help you improve on your cottage or service."
Geraldine & Phelim Darby, Northern Ireland – August 2007

 

 

"Have just returned from our second visit to Praia das Maçãs and Vila Arcos. In the past we have always gone to the west coast of the Algarve but last year decided to branch out and what a gem we found in Maçãs! The house is comfortable, spotlessly clean and well equipped with great outside space. The shop is just around the corner to get fresh bread for breakfast and everything is within walking distance – great restaurants. fantastic beach and a huge swimming pool if you fancy a change.
Ralph & Ana are great hosts, very friendly and helpful – Ralph remembered that the kids were into football and a few weeks before our visit let us know about a match at Sporting Lisbon which was a great experience. He also organised surfing lessons for them the previous year.
I would recommend the villa and the resort highly for a peaceful, relaxing holiday and one of my tips (there are many!) would be to have a tosta mista in Barmácia, get a seat by the window and watch the sufers catching the waves on a glittering sea – heaven!!"
Ginny, Adie, Jessie & Joel, Woodford Green, England – July 2007

 

 

"We have enjoyed our stay in Casa do Limoeiro very much. The house is definitely a gorgeous cottage full of character. The garden with two plum trees, a blue and a yellow – plus a lemon tree was naturally a great pleasure for the eye and the stomach. The house is very clean and comfortable and no noise disturbed us. We really relaxed reading and drinking too much coffee in the little paradise garden. As you can read about Sintra it is indeed a fantastic town, very beautiful landscape and architecture. Parque da Pena really impressed us, and we took a lot of pictures of trees, bushes and flowers. The rear walk up to Pena Palace is also a nice experience, good exercise. It is easy and nice to stay in Sintra, we enjoyed buying all the good food – meet, fruit, vegetables, cakes, bread… all better and cheaper than in Denmark. Normally our son does not like chicken, but different with the Portuguese grilled chicken. So whether we were eating out or at home, it was a pleasure. For us it was a perfect holiday combination: One busy week in Lisbon and one peaceful week in Sintra. Jakob, Per & Kate"
Per Larsen & Kate Bech, Vejle, Denmark – July 2007

 

 

"We had a very nice stay your "Casa da Olga" Cottage and were pleased with your arrangements and the cottage itself - being all that we expected for facilities, up-keep and cleanliness, etc. We appreciated and well used the basket of "goodies" which you provided for us. They lasted all of our short stay with you until we left for our adventures into the rest of Portugal."
Pamella Coombes & Eugene Fydirchuck, Canada – June 2007

 

 

"We have no doubt in stating that we experienced the best cottage holiday following a stay at Casa da Olga."
Eilian and Elena, Wales, UK – June 2007

Eilian and Helena stayed in Casa da Olga in late June 2007. They have submitted a very thorough and generous review, together with quite a few of their holiday photos. Click here to see the full review and photos.

 

 

 

"Casa da Olga provided the ideal base for visiting the Lisbon coast and Sintra. The area, protected by the national park, is both beautiful and full of historic attractions, don't miss the palace and gardens in Sintra and Monserrate. The tram is a novel, cheap and interesting way to get to Sintra (Friday and weekends only) and avoids parking problems. The buses are equally convenient but not such fun. The area is well served for restaurants within walking distance of the villas, Adega das Azenhas was outstanding. We appreciated the warm welcome from Ana and Ralph and the friendliness of all the local people with whom we came into contact. Thank you,"
Mary & Garry Johnson, Letchworth, England – April 2007

 

"From the USA, we were transported to the wonderful world of Praia das Maçãs and, indeed, of Portugal. In addition to enjoying the charming village, we took fabulous day trips throughout the region. Ralph and Ana's cottages provide delightfully simple quarters for relaxing or using as a home base for further exploration. Ana and Ralph are gracious hosts, providing translation services when needed, tips on places to visit, suggestions for restaurants, colorful information on national and local history and culture, and creature services beyond the norm to make our accommodations comfortable. We highly recommend these cottages for those who like to stay among the locals in pristine accommodations at a reasonable price."
Kathy & Dick Hughes and Jack Williamson, USA – April 2007

 

"Casa da Olga is a clean and modern self-contained cottage which was ideal for the two of us. It was a good base for exploring the coastline (including Ericeira to the North) and Sintra (which is great for culture and eating-out). Ralph & Ana were very helpful and on-hand for general info. And a great tip-off for a local restaurant in Azenhas da Mar!"
Jason Vicent & Carly Rose, UK– April 2007

 

"We had a great time here and everything was as Ana and Ralph said it would be. The beaches were very unspoilt and uncrowded, the villa was immaculate and it was easy to get around without a car. Sintra is definitely well worth a visit. We would certainly recommend this as a holiday."
Nigel & Carolyn Conquest, UK – August 2006

 

"The best seafood tried in Portugal was in Praia das Maçãs, where the daily catch was exposed in front of the excellent seafood restaurants. The kids loved to watch the creatures!"
Adam and Eva Altenburg, Denmark – August 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We had a fantastic week, the cottage was great so close to the beach! Praia das Maçãs is a great beach holiday location; not touristry, great cheap seafood restaurants, clean beaches and plenty of sun!"
Danielle Ivory and Jeremy Haines, UK – August 2006

 

"We had a wonderful short vacation in Portugal and we really enjoyed the house, the beautiful area, the sea and your hospitality. The house was attractive, nice and clean. Hope to see you some times again. I will difinitely recommend your house if I hear about any one going to the Lisbon area on vacation."
Anders and Mona Hou, Denmark – August 2006

 

 

"We had a wonderful holiday, made more special by your warm welcome and hospitality, thank you! We would very much like to return to see you and perhaps bring a small group of climbing friends, and maybe we can book all 3 cottages?"
Neil and Bex Cooper, UK – July 2006

 

 

 

 

"Thank you for everything. We had a wonderful time! We have nothing but good to tell people about your cottages, the location and the beautiful surrounding villages."
Orla, Paul and Aela, Ireland – April 2006

 

"It has been a pleasure meeting you both. We had a lovely time in Portugal – thanks for all the assistance. The kids are already planning their next holiday. Will keep in touch."
Luis and Marinha Bragança, UK – April 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

"It was a short stay in Portugal, but we thouroughly enjoyed it. Your cottage is in a beautiful area."
Fumiko Miyahara and Hugh Carruthers, Canada – January 2006

 

"We had a fantastic week, the cottage was lovely and we both really loved the area. Had some beautiful walks and ate some fantastic food."
Gillian Whipp, UK – December 2005

 

"We enjoyed our stay so much; wonderful place, great food and the beer was cheaper than water!"
Chall and Rach, Shrewsbury, UK – September 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Thanks again for the wonderful rental in Portugal. The cottage was wonderful and after talking with Cristina, we wouldn't change a thing."
Paul and Cristina Turang, USA – September 2005

 

 

"We had a really enjoyable time and were very impressed with the area. What really struck us was how pleasant the people are around that area. Everywhere we went they seemed pleased to see you and could not have been more helpful."
Peter and Ruth Baldwin, UK – August 2005

 

"Thank you for a fantastic holiday. The house is perfect and very comfortable, and everything you need or want is there!"
Jan de Meulenaere, Belgium – July 2005

Learn more about the tram at Praia das Maçãs

Visit here the quaint and beautiful village of Azenhas do Mar

There's so many beaches to choose from. Click here for more suggestions