About Us

Having bought Monte da Quinta in the summer of 2002 with the intention of it becoming our retirement home, we found it increasingly hard to return from visits to the hustle and bustle of the UK.
With much planning and determination finally in the summer of 2005,
leaving three of our eldest boys settled in the UK, our youngest son and I moved to Portugal.  My partner Nigel remained behind for twelve months securing a European position within his company.

Project managing the build and restoration of the farmhouses, we took inspiration from some of the fantastic accommodation we had stayed
at within Europe.  With our love for all things rustic, traditional and the ambience of the Casa da Campo “House of the Country” life style, Monte da Quinta started to evolve. We wanted to provide accommodation suitable of for all ages and agendas: those that like to amble in the countryside, explorers and historians, adventurers discovering new cultures, activities for the restless and tranquillity for those that like to relax in comfort.

Most importantly, we wanted to maintain the traditions and farming practises that had taken place at Monte da Quinta for many generations. With little knowledge of our own, we enlisted the help of a former employee of the farm “Manuel”. Despite our initial lack of the Portuguese language, his patience with us and dedication to the land and the animals has kept the farm blooming.

When it came to opening the doors to the public my saviour was my housekeeper “Ortelia”. Her dedication has been second to none.
On the hottest and busiest change-over days, we work as a team to ensure that everything is just perfect and we are ready to welcome our new guests.

We live on site, we are here should you need us and in the background when you don't. As well as all the farm animals we have two working dogs, Maggie May a border collie from the UK and Velvet a Rafeiro from Alentejo, a regional Portuguese breed of herding dog. Both extremely friendly and used to guests coming and going.

Monte da Quinta has been completely transformed; it now combines modern facilities and traditional architecture with an even balance between rural tourism, farming and a unique way of life. With no regrets and our continuing success, we have settled into the landscape and lives of the local people very nicely. Thanks to the fantastic support and recommendations from many of our returning guests, we now have a viable business with visitors from all over the world.

Friends have said “Arriving in Alentejo is like dropping into a parallel universe"
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"Monte da Quinta is an oasis of harmony that truly epitomises live as it should be”.