Terra Rosa Country House & Vineyards
Between Barcelos, the home of the colourful cockerel, and pretty Roman town of Ponta da Lima, you’ll find the Terra Rosa Country House & Vineyards. This peaceful idyll is the brainchild of Eliana Rosa, who wanted to share the quiet beauty of her family’s seventy-acre wine estate, which dates back to 1758, (you’ll see the date is inscribed in its small chapel). Eliana’s grandparents purchased ‘Quinta da Codecosa’ in 1948, but it’s her father Francisco’s dedication and passion for the vines which has transformed the quinta into the region’s largest producer of vinho verde. Biodiversity and the preservation of this finely balanced ecosystem are key to Francisco’s success.
In tandem, Eliana transformed the old hop-drying house, Casa do Lupulo, into a boutique, seven-room upscale B&B, and its elegantly repointed schist stonework, silvered timber cladding, and wrought-iron chimney tip a respectful nod to the building’s agricultural heritage. Quinta do Tanque, Quarto da Capela, Quarto do Pompal and Quarto do Moinho are relaxing and homely double rooms, and the three suites – Suite da Chamine, Suite do Espigdueiro and Suite da Eira – have both a double bedroom and additional living room. Eliana’s personal touches are everywhere: from the intricate Jali wall panels, tactile earthenware and ceramic artwork, to the comfortable, wabi-sabi inspired furniture and soft furnishings.
Breakfasts are served in the large, shared kitchen-diner, and more frequently on its sheltered terrace which runs the full length of the casa. There’s also a shared garden, and an outdoor pool with a second sun terrace, and a fire pit is often on-the-go, on balmy evenings in the shade of the old hop store.
As a calming location to relax, reflect and unwind, the Terra Rosa Country House & Vineyards are perfect. For explorers, the Roman river towns of Ponta da Lima and Ponta da Barca are a short drive away, port city Viana do Castelo is thirty-minutes to the west, and Braga, the capital of the Minho region and one Europe’s oldest cities, is to the south.
