Herdade da Matinha Country House & Restaurant

Portugal , Alentejo
CERCAL DO ALENTEJO, Herdade da Matinha, S/N
Show on Google | Website | Map

49 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

30 Sep 2025

Cia

This is a hidden gem. Booked last minute and were absolutely blown away by what we found. It rained the day we were there so we cozied up in one of there beautifully appointed nooks and read. The breakfast was incredible and included
Definitely would come back. The staff and grounds were so welcoming

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

25 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

The space is isolated and peaceful. Everything about the restaurant, the meals, the staff, is absolutely perfect.
The main pool is desperately lacking proper shade to spend the day. The reception staff is helpful and you can WhatsApp them directly, which is very convenient. However, there is an odd light arrogance at reception whenever questions are asked or issues are shared.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Oct 2024

Francis

Like a dude ranch. Must have been 1000 acres it was a 2 mile drive up a dirt road just to get to reception

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2024

Angela

I have stayed here several times—always love it!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Sep 2024

Victor

Quiet, relaxing, beautifully appointed with stunning artwork and objets d'art Herdade da Matinha is a top choice for an escape from mundane tribulations. The restaurant menu is limited but the food is excellent served in a relaxed but sophisticated atmosphere. I do wish the staff were better trained but the overall expedient was superb.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jan 2024

Cristina

Wonderful experience!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Oct 2023

Robert

Great resort to relax and enjoy the area! Food was fantastic!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 May 2023

Sally

The property is very beautiful. It is quite rural and very charming. The decorations in the main building are so lively and comfortable. The original paintings by the owner are great. The whole staff is incredibly friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. The food is wonderful. There is wonderful hiking right out the door.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Nov 2021

Niall

Relaxed haven

Gem of a hotel - place is a converted farm at the end of a 3km dirt road. Central building with reception restaurant etc and various smaller buildings with the accommodation.
The while place has a slightly hippy feel to it - but with comfort and good food. Very friendly and helpful staff.
Public rooms are very welcoming - a variety of eclectically decorated lounges - some partially open which actually make you want to spend time there - lounging.
Dinner was a fixed menu - very well executed. Breakfast was also very nice.
Room was comfortable and a decent size. It is nice to see a properly lit hotel room with the lights in the correct places - i.e. the ceiling. A few condition issues - shower had not been properly sealed to plaster on the wall was in trouble and the shower itself could have done with a light.
Somewhere I will definitely return to.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

Very beautiful property with plenty of space to just relax, reading a book and enjoy the nature. The only sound that you will hear will be the sound of the birds.
The downside it's the lack of choice for dinner since you have to stick with the whole menu.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jun 2021

Verified traveler

Great stay, will come again.

Amazing, relaxed and perfectly located

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 May 2021

Andrew

Idyllic stay in beautiful surroundings.

Idyllic stay, Pleasant, and helpful staff, Great food. Photographs on website need updating.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

The food is very good. The staff extremely friendly. Lovely decoration.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

19 Sep 2019

Rafael

At the heart of Alentejo

This great hotel is perfect for spending time around Alentejo. If you want to go to the beach, do some hiking or just relax and enjoy the countryside, this is the perfect place! They also have an amazing dinner service which offers a different menu every night. Will definitely go back!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

We had a great time. Beautiful surroundings

Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 May 2018

Verified traveler

shower temperature too hot

the place is very cheerful, everyone is friendly and the food is great. the shower runs too hot and cannot be adjusted to be warm. It’s either too hot or too cold or too little water. you get to see the horses being fed and trained every morning. the place is along a beautiful hiking trail.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

22 May 2018

Heather

not as good as the marketing made it out to be

The location in the country was beautiful. The rooms were not. Maybe we received a bad one but it was musty, stuffy, dark, and spidery. The air conditioning/fan thing don’t work to keep it from being too hot/stale yet if you opened the one door ( no window) all the bugs came in.
Hotels.com said there was WiFi in the rooms ( a necessity when traveling without a phone ) but there was not). Thus we had to hang out in the common areas all night to get maps, driving directions , etc, which isn’t very relaxing.
The common areas were really ok but really I would rather have a nice room.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Mar 2018

Colin

Peaceful and quirky

Great staff and food. Comfortable, if a little quirky. Great place to chill out. Only downside is the long, long unmade road - very bumpy and very uncomfortable for nearly 2km. Room 22 is huge.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

29 Nov 2017

Timothy

not so quiet country house.

The hotel is very pretty in an idyllic country setting. Please note that you will drive a few km down a dirt road to access the property and it can be bumpy and at night possibly hard to navigate. They do have signs posted, however gps will try and route you the faster way which is on a road only accessible by 4x4. The property is visually very beautiful and colorful. Our one issue was thatbis was VERY loud in the hotel. We had a very large group who was partying until 3am and wandering in front of our room patio. Inside the common areas it was a loud any party atmosphere. We were told this was not normal. Lucky for us I guess. The restaurant was fine and the breakfast was nice. However on on of our nights we were the only couple staying there so the restaurant was closed. The common areas were much nicer than our room, which smelled musty and had not very many windows or light. Overall it is a nice place and you certainly do not overpay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jul 2017

Thierry

To be discovered

Wonderful place. However be careful using waze....it might lead to sandy tracks and it costs €150 to tow the car. Very helpful staff though

8/10

Excellent

19 May 2017

Verified traveler

Beautiful country retreat

Nicely appointed hotel with lots of artistic flare in a very picturesque setting. Staff were friendly and accommodating and food was very good, including a great breakfast buffet that was varied and fresh. Easy to access the coast for beautiful beaches. Only complaint was noisy construction on an extension to the dining room, which disturbed what should have been a very peaceful environment.

2/10

Poor

01 Mar 2017

Verified traveler

Anywhere but here

Extremely overpriced for a smelly, undersized, and windowless \"room\". I was frankly shocked when they showed me to my \"room\". An overpowering musty smell greeted the nose upon entry, There was barely room for the double bed which was NOT the king bed advertised and for which I paid. There was no room to even lay out your suitcase unless it was on the bed. The hot water took forever to reach the bathroom. Complaints to the staff regarding the bed size resulted in them blaming Expedia. Completely unacceptable response! After seeing far superior accommodations across Portugal for far less money, I was extremely disappointed by what I got for this price. Meanwhile the staff seemed to think they were running some sort of special yoga spa, as we were greeted with blaring hindi chant music at the buffet breakfast that the owner felt inclined to sing along to with. It was turned up so loud that I had to repeat myself three times when I asked a question about the buffet.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jul 2015

Graham / Julie

Lovely Hideaway Retreat

Had a briilliant holiday, the hotel was nestled amounst trees and hills. Lovely caring staff, made welcome when we arrived. Very homely, very clean. Staff went out of their way to make sure we had a brilliant holiday. Plenty of activities there if you wish to join in. Hired a car, necessary to get about. However they would have picked us up from the airport if needed. Lovely walks nearby, again an offer to pick us up from our walk if we needed it. Very peaceful, soft music playing at mealtime. A tranquil place. Fabulous beaches nearby. We were given a list of local places to visit which we found very helpful.

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jun 2015

Kimberley

Awesome and unique hideaway

What an amazing place! Surrounded by beautiful countryside, we loved our time here, but one night was not enough. The artist owners have filled the property with vibrant artwork, and quirky sofas and hiding places mean you can make the whole place fill like home. The food was lovely and staff very welcoming.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 May 2014

Verified traveler

hotel on the rota vicentina

the food and wine were terrific---a hotel with a lovely atmosphere and delightful staff---cooking done in the open kitchen next to the dining room --excellent breakfast

6/10

Pleasant

15 Jul 2013

Verified traveler

Funky bed and breakfast in the country

We had fun relaxing at this family-friendly bed and breakfast. It's in the Alentejo countryside about two hours south of Lisbon and only 10 miles from beautiful beaches. The rooms are simple and comfortable. The inn is filled with bright artwork. They have a nice pool, a yoga studio, and horses. They offer a fixed menu for dinner every evening that was delicious. We also enjoyed a few restaurants in the local beach town, Vila Nova de Milfontes.

8/10

Excellent

15 Jul 2013

JJS

Artsy country inn

Our family of five enjoyed a three-night stay at Herdade da Matinha. After being in Lisbon for a few days, we wanted to relax in the country. Herdade is only two hours south of Lisbon but feels very remote. It's a laid-back, artsy, relaxing place that offers yoga, horse back riding, a good-sized pool, an orchard, and is only about a 15-minute drive to beautiful beaches. The dinners they offer on site are amazing. The receptionists Maria and Patricia went out of their way to make us feel very welcome and comfortable. They even arranged to do a load of laundry for us for free! The only negative is that the \"family room\" (room 2) that our children were in was damp and musty. Our other room (room 17) on the newer side was lovely. If you are looking for a peaceful country experience in Portugal, perhaps on your drive down to the Algarve, this place is a gem.

6/10

Pleasant

19 May 2024

MARLENE

O lugar é muito interessante o quarto bastante confortável a Carolina recepcionista espetacular o jantar foi francamente mau

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

20 Feb 2024

Markus

Cozy stay with great atmosphere and service

We went a little off-season and not many were there. The place is located in the countryside with lovely surroundings.

The inital plan was to go into the little town of Cercal for dinner in elthe evening, but we changed our plans and stayed for dinner at Matinha instead. That was a good decision... the food was very nice and typical rustic traditional Portuguese food. Loved it.

Everyone was super helpful and serviceminded.

It was a great stay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Dec 2023

Verified traveler

Um retiro no meio do campo

Staff impecável e hotel muito bonito e acolhedor

Partner

8/10

Excellent

11 Jan 2023

Giselle

Razoável

O hotel é muito bonito e aconchegante, contudo, a iluminação noturna é insuficiente, o jantar é menu fechado e não servem nenhum outro prato existente no cardápio.
O problema é que o hotel fica há 5km de qualquer comércio, o que te obriga a aceiatr o menu oferecido, ou ficar com fome.
A arrumação do quarto também não corresponde a um hotel 4 estrelas.
Além disso, eu fiz a reserva indicando que queria pagar no hotel, pois pagaria em dinheiro, e quando fui fazer o checkout, eles ja haviam debitado o valor do meu cartão, sem a minha autorização.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Sep 2022

Nuno

Excelente

Maravilhosa estadia num sítio idílico para descansar e aproveitar os encantos rurais. De destacar a enorme simpatia dos colaboradores.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 Dec 2020

catarina

Fim‑de‑semana em família

Herdade super acolhedora e com uma decoração fantástica . Todos os espaços muito confortáveis o que nos faz sentir em casa. Serviço óptimo, todos muito prestáveis e com atendimento personalizado por parte do dono da herdade que nos deu dicas boas para fazer um passeio pelo campo.
Pequeno-almoço óptimo.
Quartos familiares com capacidade para 3 crianças, o que muitas vezes é difícil de encontrar.
Resumindo, muito bom!!!!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2020

Verified traveler

Consigliato

Struttura immersa nel verde. Se desideri stare lontano da qualsiasi cosa e un ottima scelta.
Pulito. Staff gentile. Camere molto carine e confortevoli. Arredamento originale.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2020

Verified traveler

J'ai beaucoup aimé la situation de la résidence et l'amabilité du personnel . Il n'y a rien à améliorer , tout était parfait

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Mar 2019

Marcos

Ideal para famílias e casais.

Espaço maravilhoso com ambiente rustico e cheio de classe. A comida é maravilhosa e têm comida apta para bebés. Ao almoço não servem refeições, apenas tostas. A rede wifi é fraca e não chega ao quartos. O passeio a cavalo é espetacular e não devem perder. A simpatia do staff contagia. Recomendo vivamente esta experiência.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Mar 2019

Anne-Laure

La nature préservée

Une parenthèse enchantée dans un cadre verdoyant
L'accueil simple et sincère complète ce tableau pour un séjour forcément trop court 🤗

Partner

8/10

Excellent

31 Jul 2017

Joao

Boa experiência no meio da natureza

Excelente experiência. Local muito agradável, perfeito para esquecer o stress do dia a dia.
Excelentes refeições e pessoal muito simpático.
Só é pena a estrada de terra batida de 3Km até ao Hotel, ser tão má.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jul 2017

Verified traveler

Like!!

Óptimo conceito e integração com a natureza. Passeio a cavalo a não perder... número de quartos já com alguma (talvez demasiada) dimensão. Jantar podia ter maior inspiracao alentejana e a salada de entrada não condizia com o nível do restante. De real defeito só mesmo a falta de apoio (serviços de entrega/bar) na piscina.
No entanto nada que impeça de voltar (pelo espectacular trilho de acesso off-road) asap! :)

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 May 2017

LUIZA

Lugar Incrível

Lugar lindíssimo e muito acolhedor! As refeições todas foram incríveis e equipe muito simpática e atenciosa! Voltaremos com certeza!!!!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Mar 2017

António

Hotel a regressar

Maravilhosa

Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2016

Pål Anders

Avslappende og befriende!

Vi hadde bare tid til to deilige dager her. Synd, for det er et fantastisk sted langt utenfor allfarvei. Nydelige frokoster og herlige middager. Perfekt sted for små og store som trenger rolige dager.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2016

Volvere

Agradable y cálido ambiente

Sorprendidos al encontrar en medio del campo un establecimiento tan agradable y acogedor en todos los aspectos, la decoración, el entorno, el personal.
El desayuno fuera de serie.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Oct 2015

Elisabeth

Plus qu'un hôtel , un lieu et une experience

Un lieu différent, en pleine nature où le bien être et l'accueil semblent être
la priorité . Une chambre spacieuse avec une terrasse en bois , décoration
de bon goût et personnalisée . Un lieu où l'on a envie de s'attarder.
Un accueil personnalisé , discret et chaleureux.

6/10

Pleasant

17 Oct 2015

Verified traveler

It's a shame !!

The place is absolutely beautiful and the living room, gardens, tetras des are just fantastic. But our room was really really small. Never had a room that small and I tried many hostels around the world. So avoid room number 6 because it is also very humide (so it's smells bad too). The other negative surprise is the dinner for 38€ that is good but it should be no more than 20€. The dessert was just 2 balls of ice cream... Literally just 2 balls in a plate... A shame !! And for that price you have still to pay for wine, at a very expensive rate. So the place is beautiful but the room and dinner... A shame!!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Sep 2015

Verified traveler

Absolut zu empfehlen

Schöne Zimmer, sehr nettes Personal! Sensationelle Ruhe und Gemütlichkeit! Vorzügliches regionales Essen mit tollen Weinen.

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jun 2015

Bente kiim

Portugisk mad når den er bedst