Quinta do Barranco da Estrada, "Paradise in Portugal"

Lovely and unique place with great biodiversity that was built by Frank and Danielle over the years. Their hospitality made us feel very welcome. Our stay was very comfortable with delicious home cooked meals. Great place to come and unwind.

Frank and Daniella have created a true oasis of peace and tranquility. Totally of grid you can imerse yourself in natural surroundings while being seranaded by captivating birdsong. Although in a hot dry place Frank and Daniella have pulled off something of a tropical paradise. I cant wait to go back here and can highly recommend it.

This was my first visit to Portugal and this was one of the highlights. Frank and Daniela are very gracious hosts; Daniela's food is excellent, the rooms are basic but very nice and the setting is spectacular. My prime reason for coming here was the birds, and I was not disappointed. Both Frank and Tony are very knowledgable and got me onto a lot of good birds and were great company too. The common meals are a pleasure as they are more of a family meal hosted by Frank and Daniel with people from all walks of life sharing their experiences. I can only recommend this place and sincerely hope to be able to come back.

Dog friendly! Highly recommend this place, and will be recommending to friends and family. It’s really peaceful, directly on the lake with paddle boards and boats free to use. It was really easy with my dog and he was able to roam free and paddle in the lake. The room is comfortable, with a nice bathroom (big bathtub) and breakfast is included. Lunch is approx. 15 Euro, and dinner approx. 20 Euro. The last 4km is by gravel road, but was fine for my small car. Directions from google were accurate. Only recommendation would be for a kettle/tea/coffee to be put in the rooms. Staff and guests were friendly.

This was our third visit to the Quinta (October 2019) and it’s always been a great treat. If anything, it was better this time, partly because we’d come with four friends also because, for the first time, we got involved in one of Frank’s birding expeditions - an all-day explore, starting at 5.00am. We were pretty naïve in these matters and still have nearly everything to learn - but it was obvious enough that the trip was superb. The Quinta is an extraordinary place: it’s seriously beautiful, tranquil and relaxing and, above all, an infectiously happy place to be. There’s nothing soppy about this contentment either: it’s a natural reaction to lovely surroundings, comfortable rooms, Daniela’s great food, excellent company – and, not least, an obviously happy and well looked after young staff. You all eat communally – up to about 20 people at the same table – and it works a treat. Summing up, if it’s right for you, it’s wonderful – but it wouldn’t be right for everyone. We wouldn’t think it suitable for very young children, for example – though great fun for older ones. Also the downside of the Quinta’s very strong green credentials and emphasis on self-sufficiency (energy, vegetables) is a degree of isolation that might not be convenient for some. The wi-fi signal is excellent, but you probably shouldn’t go there if you’d miss cinema or TV.