Having spent years sailing around the world, Sam and Rich Malone found the ideal place to drop anchor in Portugal’s Silver Coast. After 11 years of hard work and significant investment, they have achieved what many Brits dream of and transformed a ruined Portuguese farmhouse and outbuildings into a delightful set of self-catering cottages and apartments. They now host holiday-makers and people who are considering moving to this part of central Portugal themselves.
In keeping with their nautical experiences as captain and chef of a luxury charter yacht, their new passion, Quinta do Bom Vento (Good Wind Farm), contains many references to the sea and even has a black and white compass laid into the courtyard cobblestones. Each of the units is named after a body of water they have sailed.
Staying at Quinta do Bom Vento
Since we had our dog with us, the Malones put us in the Atlantic. This one-bedroomed cottage has the largest balcony and, in my opinion, the best views of the surrounding hillsides and the grounds. It also has a glass-sided living room with a fireplace so you can enjoy the views even when the weather is rubbish.
Fully equipped accommodation and welcome provisions
With the personal greeting on the chalkboard as we entered the courtyard and the fridge full of food, not to mention warm smiles from our hosts, we felt welcome from the moment we arrived.
Never mind a home away from home – Quinta do Bom Vento is better equipped and furnished than our own house. Unlike other self-catering apartments I have stayed in where you’re lucky to get two forks, two knives and two plates and not even salt or olive oil, there were more utensils and gadgets in the kitchen than I know what to do with.
Not only was there plenty of food in the fridge, fruit bowl and dried goods basket, Sam has thought of every little detail and supplied a range of herbs and spices, stock cubes, balsamic vinegar and oils so there’s no need to worry about finding a supermarket the day you arrive.
For us, this was a real blessing. We were both exhausted after successive busy weeks and quickly abandoned any notions we’d had of venturing out that first afternoon in favour of simply relaxing and enjoying the peaceful surroundings from the comfort of our temporary home.
Thoughtful renovation project and unique accommodation
We did also get to have a look at the other accommodation options, all thoughtfully converted from farm buildings such as the chicken and horse barn and the former adega (wine-making building). This is now the ‘honeymoon suite’ with a four-poster bed as well as the original pole used to operate the grape crushing equipment.
One of the things I loved is that each unit is unique, right down to the patterns in the terracotta tiles, and blends quality finishings and fittings with original features like the bread oven (with a surprise inside!) in the Pacific.
Reasons for visiting this part of the Silver Coast
We did actually drag ourselves away from QBV to do some further exploring of Portugal’s Silver Coast area. I’d been wanting to visit the nearby Buddah Eden Gardens for some time and since the property is only 8 km from the enchanting town of Óbidos, we managed to pop in for another visit.
We were also keen to check out another of the local wineries we’d heard about. The nearby family-run Quinta de Sanguinhal lived up to high expectations and has a fascinating story to tell.
I’ll be collating ideas for things to do in the Silver Coast in a future article so watch this space. In the meantime, see the first few days of my central Portugal itinerary for suggestions.
Practicalities for staying at Quinta do Bom Vento
You will need a car if you want to stay here – see Google Maps. While it’s close to other towns, an hour north of Lisbon and convenient for the motorway, the accommodation itself is at the end of a small village and surrounded by gorgeous grounds and countryside.
See my tips for renting a car and driving in Portugal.
The minimum stay at Quinta do Bom Vento is 3 nights, maximum 6 months.
For more information, especially about discounts for longer stays (5+ days) or booking the entire property for a group, visit the website or check availability and other reviews on Booking.com.
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Disclosure: Mike and I stayed at Quinta do Bom Vento for 2 nights as guests. The Booking.com link is an affiliate, which means I may receive a small commission if you use it to book a stay at not extra cost to you.
