Thank you for taking the time to post a review. Far from being an ‘old villa’, the Quinta is a Manor House which dates back to 1746 and has a history which is a big part of the Heritage of Portugal, with close association with the Marquis de Pombal and many of the Portuguese Aristocracy over the centuries. We spent 2 years and €600,000 fully restoring the Manor House and Celeiro, which is the same age, only in 2008 so are somewhat surprised by the comments, which have never been expressed by any other guests. As you mention, we have a village station, a 10 minute walk away, which serves Lisbon and Sintra and with fares less than €2; around 25% of our guests travel by public transport, saving considerably on car hire, so a car is not essential.

Thank you for the kind words about the Quinta and we are sorry if your first impressions of the village were disappointing for you. Melecas is a typical small village in the countryside 2km north of Rio do Mouro and has one of the most highly rated schools in the country, and excellent and inexpensive public transport from the village station where you can catch a train to Lisbon, Sintra, Obidos and many more places. Like most of Portugal, we have our share of graffiti around the railway line (something which has been prevalent since the Revolution) but if you see passed this and accept that this is how things are in Portugal, you find a very safe and friendly local community, with lots of excellent traditional and inexpensive restaurants and cafes within walking distance and lovely walks up into the hills surrounding the village. Our central location in the Lisbon peninsular with excellent road links means that we are less than 1/2 hour from most places of interest .