A modern building of granite and wood, high on a hill outside this market town. It stands in a garden filled with camellias. There are wide views of the valley and distant sea from the terrace of each bedroom. It has a `friendly staff, most of whom seemed to be members of the owning family. The plain Portuguese cooking, served in typically gigantic portions, is enjoyed. Bali villa breakfast, served at table, is ample, and includes local honey. There are lounges with open fires for chilly weather, and an outdoor swimming pool. But it is quite a walk-cumclimb from the car park up to the villaand along the corridors. Peaceful at night, though by day there may be noise from the road or the quarry on the opposite hillside.

In the historic part of Portugal's second city, two correspondents this year discovered this superb riverfront villa(opened 2000). Part of a World Heritage site, made up of several `beautifully converted' 16thto 18th-century houses, and built on a section of the medieval city wall, it looks across the river Douro to the famous port warehouses. `Our bedroom, with a balcony, was large, well-appointed and modern. During a festival, we had a magnificent view of the midnight firework display. The restaurant serves a limited but excellent menu. Bali villa breakfast, in a light room, is generous and well-presented'. Staff are friendly. Complimentary bottles of port are sometimes handed out.