Pousada Castelo de Estremoz – Historic Hotel

For many, many years, we have been coming to Portugal but apparently not! We have visited the Algarve many times and stayed in Oporto and Lisbon plus the coast in between. However, having found Estremos, Evora and Cuidad Rodrigo on this road trip, we realise these previous places to visit are but the front of the country and here in the east is the real Portugal! Beautiful fruit trees and vineyards abound with Pelicans nesting on telegraph poles. Beautiful towns and historic buildings and emplacements. So, so much to see….. This ancient yet well maintained hotel is in a fort overlooking the beautiful town of Estremos which, like the hotel, is clean and well looked after by its people. The staff are lovely and so professional from check in through refreshments to check out. The room we enjoyed was comfortable but modernised but did not lose its authenticity. The bathroom was in the small size but understandable bearing in mind the place’s age. We so look forward to coming back to enjoy the really tasty local cuisine on offer at the hotel and elsewhere and staying in this remarkable building.

We had the royal treatment in this beautiful castle, I highly recommend an overnight here as you explore this beautiful wine region. The staff is attentive, there is a beautiful bar/lounge space and the rooms were a refreshing unique change from all the corporatized hotels. A charming experience.

We had never stayed in a castle before and decided upon visiting Estromoz to stay in this one, a 13th century castle. We were in room 106, which had two 4 poster single beds. The bathroom has been updated to modern standards. The Castle is filled with antiques which are interesting to see. The castle is high up and it was extremely windy and rainy when we were there. We opted to dine at the Castle and it was a very nice meal. As there were only 6 tables needed they actually set up and served in the bar, not in the big restaurant space. The food was very good, if expensive. We started with veggie soup, and smoked duck appetizer. For mains, I chose the quail, with a lovely chestnut sauce while my husband had the lamb. For dessert we had a pear tart. This was fine dining as we spent a nice evening enjoying the meal. The breakfast buffet is large but mostly filled with sweet items, or breads/rolls. There were scrambled eggs, cheeses and fruits but no vegetable (they really need to add some veggies in our opinion). The service in the Pousada is excellent both at meals and in general. Overall this was a memorable stay in a unique location. It is also a good place if you want to see towns in this part of Alentejo.

This is a fabulous hotel with great staff in a fabulous town. We were very fortunate here to be upgraded from a classic to a superior room and had a fantastic view over the town from our upgraded room. We loved the character of the hotel, the public areas and the rooms and the views are stunning, both from the public rooms and from the castle tower which you can climb. It’s an easy walk into town and around the main sights and the hotel is a very comfortable place to relax in once you’re done for the day. Breakfast was excellent as were all the hotel staff we encountered. We extended our stay here by a day as there is a lot to see in town and the surrounding villages. A great place to stay.

Absolutely stunning hotel, situated on the hilltop, overlooking Estremoz. Steeped in history, this unique place has views to die for. Whether it’s from your room, the bar, the pool or the gardens, the view is incredible. However, you must take the 137 stone steps up the tower for the ultimate viewpoint! On arrival, the staff on reception will give you a sheet detailing the history of the castle. Make sure you read it because it is fascinating. We didn’t eat in the hotel restaurant, which was a shame, but we did have breakfast the following morning which was fine. The rooms are lovely with antique furniture and huge, high ceilings. Unfortunately, our only criticism would be the staff. There was a definite lack of enthusiasm. On arrival I struggled up the stairs with all my bags, and there was no offer of help - despite it being obvious I was struggling. At the pool, the bar man was trying to manage the inside bar and pool bar at the same time, so seemed very grumpy. At breakfast there was no cheery welcome or good morning. Perhaps they are understaffed? Anyway, despite this, we would certainly recommend this hotel. After all, anywhere that is accessed by a drawbridge has to be worth it, doesn’t it?!

Approaching Estremoz, we could see the hilltop castle overlooking town. We joked that it was our hotel, which of course it was. The opulent Pousada Castelo Estremoz is in a 13th century castle, and our schmancy room has a great view, and peculiar painting. I had fun poking around taking photos before we headed out to a long late lunch at A Cadeia Quinhentista in a 16th century medieval jail. Laurence tried a traditional sausage fritter dish, and I had a big pot of huge mussels. The couple serving us were so nice and fun and tried to teach us some Portuguese. There is a lot of slurring involved. Maybe an extra glass of wine would help. We went for a walk around town, which was pretty dead. Maybe because it’s Sunday and siesta time. Perfect for taking pictures. Estremoz is a larger town with a population of 7500, and well known for marble. We can see a huge quarry from our room, and our bathroom is different colors of marble. Even the sidewalks are made of marble chunks. After our enormous lunch, we wanted an easy dinner at 9pm. We chose a family run pizza place, had a big pizza, and a salad combination of tuna, egg and potato, plus water and a half liter of wine for €22. Miguel told us that he learned English in school from grade one to ten, but it was British. He learned the American dialect by playing video games and watching TV series. I learned how to properly order a crucial phrase of a half liter of white wine, which was €4.50. You can’t not afford to drink at that price. We are not big breakfast people, but when it is served in a castle, and included in the room rate, you make the effort to get there by 10am closing. It was the best breakfast we’ve had on our trip. The entrance to the castelo tower is in our hotel courtyard, and you can climb up the top for some nice views. I always look for a bird’s eye view in new towns to figure out the lay of land. There are holes in the upper walkway used to pour boiling oil on invaders. We enjoyed an incredible dinner in our castle dining room, with superb service and beautifully presented delicious courses.