Luxury Portuguese Countryside Villa Resort

We visited Sao Lourenco do Barrocal as guests of a wedding for one of Ryan’s childhood best friends. They had visited there previously and loved it so much that they selected it for their big event. These friends are known for their love of the luxurious things in life so for them to have selected Sao Lourenco as their wedding location we knew then that the place must be pretty special. This stunning location in the countryside of Portugal is three hours from Lisbon and was the perfect setting for their nuptuals and for all the guests to enjoy.

Villa Accommodations

Everything in the resort is laid out along two long lanes with a big open village square down the middle. The farm rooms and cottages are spacious and simple inside in the most elegant way. I loved how you could look out the window in the front onto the square and along the back onto the grounds. The Farm rooms are set up more like a standard hotel room with the bedroom and the bath but in the same decorative farmhouse style. The cottages also feature a kitchen and living room and each bedroom has their own bath upstairs.

Wonderful Service

We aren’t necessarily accustomed to luxury resorts so maybe this is just the norm but we were really impressed by the quality of the service. Everything was always immaculate and freshly changed immediately. My best example involves a book I was reading that I had folded over the corner to hold my place ( I know, I know, don’t kill me fellow book lovers for my book maltreatment). I had left it on the bedside table that morning and when I came back up they had stuck a lovely bookmark in it with their hotel logo. It was little unexpected things like this that made the experience so wonderful.

Luxury Amenities

The resort is a rural oasis but don’t worry they have everything you would need on site. We visited in October which isn’t really swimming weather but were lucky enough to have a beautiful sunny day upon arrival to do some sunbathing poolside. The brave, and the unluckily pushed in, also went for a dip. We enjoyed use of the bikes for a cruise round the extensive grounds and they have horses in the stable with which you can book riding sessions. If some pampering is in order, they have a luxury spa where you can book a massage or other spa treatment for a fee. Or you can enjoy their complimentary sauna to sweat out the stresses and leave them behind. Food and drinks are available throughout out the day from their onsite winery and restaurant.

Food and Drinks

We were very happy with the food offerings at the resort. We had a lovely five course meal at the wedding that was great on the eyes as well as the pallet. We then washed it down with wines from their own winery. The only downside is they don’t have any sweet wines on site which is more our taste. Our favorite were the breakfast offerings which included a very European spread of meats, cheeses, fruits and various breads. Plus, honey off of a real honeycomb from the grounds was a lovely touch. The night before the wedding we enjoyed a traditional outdoor Portuguese Barbecue. And for the Wedding, we had a stunning five course meal, pictures shown above. I also fell in love with the flavored waters they had set out at any given time throughout the resort. They were just a simple water jug with various fruits and herbs inside for flavor but they were so refreshing. We have been recreating them at home ever since.

Wedding Event

In order for their marriage to be legal the ceremony had to be spoken in Portuguese in addition to English and included much serious talk of what the couple’s responsibilities are to each other, a good reminder for us all I suppose. I initially felt badly that the rain had forced the ceremony into the enclave as opposed the their preferred outdoor ceremony but when during dinner it was followed by the most beautiful double rainbow, it just seemed so perfect. Plus, rain on your wedding day is good luck right?! Overall, I think the staff succeeded in making the day a perfect celebration for our friends and they didn’t bat an eye when there were some good old fashioned shenanigans at the reception.

This luxury Portuguese countryside villa resort is off the beaten path but is so worth the trek. The beautiful landscape that surrounds Sao Lourenco Do Barrocol is an idyllic setting. We enjoyed luxury amenities, spacious accommodations and a beautiful event to celebrate the love of great friends.