We must apologise today as it has been a few weeks since we published a venue spotlight! Today we are taking a closer look at three very beautiful venues in Portugal.
Portugal has long been a popular choice for destination weddings, especially for European couples but like everywhere else, the language barrier and lack of local knowledge can often cause such a headache when trying to find the right suppliers, not least the venue of your dreams. We know how difficult it can be and on our mission to help make the whole planning a destination wedding project easier, we are going on the venue hunt for you. But first a little background. When searching for venues in Portugal you will often come up across ” Pousada de Portugal”. Pousada de Portugal is a chain of luxury hotels that were formally owned by the Portuguese State. The Pousadas were first inaugurated in the 1940s as hotels that were authentically Portuguese and had that rustic feel attached to them. Regional Pousadas typically have smaller rooms capacity and originally served as places where special attention was paid to local gastronomy. In the 50s, many historical castles and monasteries were transformed into these boutique hotels and they really have served greatly in the protection of Portuguese heritage but even better, it means there are plenty of venues in Portugal where you celebrate your wedding and both enjoy the historical beauty of the building and modern comforts in life.
Pousada de Faro, Palacio de Estoi
When most people think of Portugal, they think immediately of The Algarve and its sandy white beaches and world renowned golf courses, so we felt it was as good an area as any to start our search. We were so happy when we came across “The Pousada de Faro” partly because it was known in another life as the famous Palace of Estoi and mainly because this breath-taking venue more than hints at the neo baroque style of it’s time. The walls of Pousada de Faro are decorated from top to bottom in Portuguese tiles and well the gardens are simply stunning. And what about luxury I hear you say? How about saunas and turkish baths? Enough said. This Pousada has 63 suites in total so there is plenty of room for your guests.
Pousada de Alvito, Castelo de Alvito
Smaller in room size than Pousada de Faro, this charming 15th century castle has so much history behind it with first references associated with it’s area dating back to 1255. It was taken over by the chain and restored in 1993 but is still reminiscent of it’s manueline architecture and enjoys many of it’s original features. Located in the easterly Province of Alentejo and it’s nearest town being Neja, Pousada de Alvito has 19 rooms for guests and a beautiful courtyard perfect for your “I do’s”.
Pousada do Geres – Canicada, Sao Bento
Last on our list today Pousada do Geres set in one unique location – high up in the heart of Geres National Park looking down on the most perfect view you have ever seen, river Cavado and Canicada dam. Your wedding guests will definitely appreciate dining out on the terrace in the evening watching the sunset but there are plenty of local activities to keep them entertained if they somehow manage to tire of the view! There are 37 rooms available which is good as it is quite remote but if it’s a relaxed, intimate and peaceful atmosphere you are going for, you are not going to get much better than this.
We have also been lucky enough to feature a real wedding in the stunning Pousadas des Amares and Pousada D. Joao IV so be sure to check them out if you have a chance. We will be back tomorrow. Have a great day lovlies x
