About the farm
Quinta da Lontra (Farm of the Otter) is situated in a valley on 3 hectares (7.5 acres) of land bordering the Mondego River.
The land is a combination of sandy river beaches, meadowland & terraces containing vines, fruit & olive trees. European & cork oak woodland borders the property. The farm sits in a river valley, in beautiful unspoilt countryside & is accessible only by a 1km dirt track, normal hire cars are fine but very low slung cars may struggle. With no immediate neighbours you’re guaranteed peace & quiet during your stay.
The accommodation consists of 2 fully equipped and furnished modern riverside lodgings with separate entrances, 2 geodesic domes and 2 yurts.
Quinta da Lontra is totally off-grid, if a low impact, self-catering holiday is what you’re looking for then this is the place to come!
Solar panels provide all lighting & electrical needs, consequently high wattage appliances like hairdryers cannot be used anywhere on the farm.
Our delicious drinking water is filtered from the stream that runs through the land & we encourage all guests to not bring water in plastic bottles.
The local village of Póvoa de Midões is only 1.5 km from us, where you’ll find 3 bars/cafes & a small convenience store where basic food & wine can be bought.
There are also a number of good restaurants serving typical Portuguese cuisine in the neighbouring villages.
The larger towns of Tábua and Carregal do Sal with large supermarkets are both within 10km distance and Coimbra and Viseu and the Serra da Estrela mountains are all within 1 hours drive.
Treading lightly
Quinta da Lontra sits on the banks of the Rio Mondego, whose source is in the Serra da Estrela (Star mountains) on the easterly border with Spain, and its end in Figueira da Foz, on the shores of the Atlantic ocean. This is territory that is famous for its forests, rivers, waterfalls and stunning scenery.
We have become the owners of this amazing property in 2023 to realize our dream and live in the fully sustainable low impact natural environment. This includes repairing the land, renovating the houses and bringing our ideas and designs to life. We offer an off-grid, riverside, rural escape in central Portugal's beautiful natural environment and amongst a thriving local community.
There are also various markets that take place in the local area, where local producers of food offer a range of fresh organic produce. Please ask!
We also offer a space to encourage closer connection to nature, creative thought & practice across different disciplines & mediums, within the art, yoga, music and therapy worlds.
This coming year sees us focusing on working on our vision, so we will be able to bring new activities, workshops and retreats to Quinta da Lontra in the future.
Ecological footprint
We are committed to use as many recycled and second-hand products and building materials as possible.
We are off-grid, our water comes from the streams and wells on the land, and we encourage all of our guests to drink our water (which is delicious and regularly tested) and to avoid bringing any plastic water bottles onto the land.
All of our electricity is generated through solar panels. The yurts and domes have access to dry composting toilets, which use no water and are minimal impact.
Ecological partnerships
We aim to partner with Projeto Rios to adopt a 500 meter stretch of the Mondego river, carrying out twice yearly evaluations of water quality, studying the flora and fauna, and organizing days aimed at cleaning and maintaining the natural state of the river.