Relax and explore in an abundance of nature.
Enjoy eating home grown produce.
Experience rural life on an eco-homestead.
Explore Central Portugal on foot with our selection of info on good hikes.
Visit historic sites, granite mountains, Dão wine country and the Atlantic.
Moinhos do Dão is an ideal place for experiencing nature and enjoying countryside living. The quinta has been hosting guests since 1989 and has charmed many families, groups and hikers and nature lovers over the years. As hosts we want to share this little piece of paradise and the experience of living in rural Portugal with volunteers, guests and other residents.
We run a small-scale guest business with a unique fully equipped 'Casa Boa Vista' for rent, facilities for group events and a few private shaded campsites for friends of the Moinhos. Everything is here for a comfortable ‘back to nature’ experience. The old Miller's house, the mills and the barns have been restored and now house resident, volunteer and guest quarters. We have facilities like a large outdoor kitchen, dining area and a bathhouse with toilets and hot showers.
The river beach and various areas on and around the quinta provide a beautiful location for relaxing and exploring. When we cook for guests we serve a meat-free ‘Portuguese & World Menu’ with produce from our garden, local markets, and seasonal products. We offer guests services such as: self-guided hikes, vegetables and herbs from our biological garden, in depth information about day trips, and information about wine tasting and good local restaurants.
Surroundings
We are located in a mostly rural region of Portugal where the landscape is dominated by grapevines, small agricultural plots and forests. The property is at the bottom of the Dão valley about a 10 min drive (30 min walk) away from the nearby villages of Tibaldinho, Vila Garcia and Fagilde where you can find small shops, restaurants and cafes. At a 20 min. drive the small town of Mangualde offers things like a fresh market, post office, supermarket, cafes and restaurants. We are a 30 min drive from the historic town of Viseu for a real—be it small—city experience.
From the quinta you can also make daytrips to the mountains, old cities near the Spanish border or even to the Atlantic Ocean. These are all at a 1 to 1.5 hour driving distance. The closest mountain range is the Serra da Estrela (highest mountains in Portugal) where you can do beautiful hikes and swim in the crystal-clear waters of mountain streams and lakes. The closest beaches are by the bay of Aveiro. Around Aveiro you can rent bikes to go around the bay and to the beach, there are paddle boarding and surfing possibilities and there are some interesting cultural sites such as Aveiro itself and the Ceramic Museum and old factory of Vista Alegre.
Access by car - Moinhos do Dão is located ‘off the beaten track’ at the end of a 1.5 km dirt road. We are accessible with regular cars and small vans but only if you take it easy on the dirt road down into the valley. Van specifics: max 6 mtr and the ability to drive up steep dirt roads. It is mandatory you use the directions that we provide elsewhere on this website and NOT USE GPS as there are multiple roads down to the quinta and only one is recommended by us.
Public Transport - You can get to and from us with a combination of train, bus and taxi to and from the nearby cities of Mangualde and Viseu. The nearest train station is in Mangualde. Both Viseu and Mangualde have bus connections to all other parts of Portugal. To visit Mangualde or Viseu by public transport you can take a regional bus (30 min. walk from Moinhos do Dão) during weekdays in the morning, around lunch or at the end of the day. If you are interested in staying with us we can provide you with more detailed information about the bus and train hours and local taxi services.
Environmental responsibility - We ask of our guests to join us in living with respect for nature by: being economical with water, separate waste for recycling and compost, and use biodegradable cleaning and personal hygiene products.
Energy - We are off-grid and generate our own electricity with water from the river and solar panels. The accommodations have no outlets but we do have a charging station by our kitchen area where guests can charge small electronic devices during sunlight hours.
Sharing the quinta - We usually have a crew working with us, run an artist in residence and have other residents on our terrain, so you will be meeting other people during your stay.
Food – On average 2 nights a week we cook for guests and sit down together to enjoy the produce from our garden and other regional products. We also sell fresh produce from our garden to guests if quantities allow.