Gastronomy and Wine

Portugal is a country where the day centers around food. Sitting down to have a meal is considered to be an important part life. Fact is, that the Portuguese can spend hours talking about a delicious meal, and where and when they relished it.

Portuguese cuisine is not well known outside the country. Thanks to its rich maritime history the variety is astonishing. Each region has a long list of traditional dishes. In the north they are very proud of what they have to offer. The beautiful city Porto, boasts it’s Bacalhao a` Gomes de Sa’, perhaps Portugal’s best recipe for codfish. From traditional rustic too innovative new dishes, like the numerous bacalhao variations too grilled sardines. For meat lovers there are plenty options too, espetada, grilled skewers of beef with garlic, suckling pig (leitão), and let’s not forget the cheeses, desserts and wines.

The north of Portugal is a true paradise for wine lovers. When you think of the city Porto, the first that comes to mind is its famed Port wine. The surprising, the refreshing Vinho Verde, also has its birthplace in the north. Discover the breathtaking Douro valley, take a stroll in the ancient city of Porto (both are on the World Heritage list of Unesco), and visit the lush provinces of Minho, Trás-os – Montes and Douro.

Portuguese cuisine is not well known outside the country. Thanks to its rich maritime history the variety is astonishing. Each region has a long list of traditional dishes. In the north they are very proud of what they have to offer. The beautiful city Porto, boasts it’s Bacalhao a` Gomes de Sa’, perhaps Portugal’s best recipe for codfish. From traditional rustic too innovative new dishes, like the numerous bacalhao variations too grilled sardines. For meat lovers there are plenty options too, espetada, grilled skewers of beef with garlic, suckling pig (leitão), and let’s not forget the cheeses, desserts and wines.

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Fully situated on the "Região de turismo do Douro Sul" (The Tourist region South of the Douro River), a truly rural area, of magnificent landscapes, where life is felt to pass entangled in the bucolic surroundings, it has now been enriched by the "Moinhos da Tia Antoninha" (the watermills of aunty Antoninha) a reconstruction which potentialises the magnificent surrounding landscapes, of minimalist intervention, perfectly framed into the particular character of the place. The owners have managed to transform antique watermills into comfortable cottages surrounded by natural beauty, and a natural pool which is the product of a nearby river.

In surroundings which are meant to be familiar and personalized, the guests are allowed to escape the daily stress and the routine of life’s repetitive mechanisms, in such a way that they rest here a while and taste the beat of the earth, the simple earth, rude and mother, feel the beauty and rhythm of the seasons of the year and discover where the colour of the flowers comes from and the taste of the fruits which adorn the branches that border our paths...

Surrounded by an exuberant green and a deep silence, Quinta da Bouça d'Arques presents all the genuine features of the most solid tradition of the Minho region: beautiful trellised vineyards, gravel yards protected by centenary trees and a meticulously restored manor house which, for the last 300 years, has born the Abreu Teixeira family coat of arms.

But a closer look discloses other realities. A bit tired of the similarity between the houses of the region, Ana and João Couto tried a more creative and risky approach. They used less traditional materials such as iron, glass and concrete and they gave birth to a dream where modernity, comfort and good taste live in harmony with tradition.

We have available several houses that make up the Farm

Outros tempos, is situated in a small village in the Douro region, Arícera is a small traditional village belonging to the district of Armamar. Here is were you can find a small cosy b&b that is truly a blast from the past, the owners have tried ( and succeeded) to show their guest how life was during the time of their grandparents. Outros tempos, is a small tourism complex constituted of 4 houses, all of them can be rented entirely and the main house also rents out rooms.

It is ideal for families with small children, a romantic getaway for two, or with a group of friends. There is a pool for refreshment during the hot summers, a game room, a mini-museum with shows objects from the Douro valley from other times, a cosy tv-room and a small shops wish sells local handicrafts, jams and other products from the region.