We had a perfect stay with Marion and her family. From the moment we arrived, they were incredibly welcoming - giving us a driving tour of Ribeira Grande to show us where the best beaches and bars were before we'd even unpacked to get a feel for our stay.
The house is the perfect size for a family to stay in - Marion and her family live in apartments in the main house, with a further 3 apartments available for families. The gardens with the animals are beautiful to wander around or just sit in and enjoy the peace. We have 2 teenage boys (13 and 15) who enjoyed the dipping pool and the tranquility of the place (as well as the WiFi!).
We didn't see the other guests very much - with so much to do everyone is off sight-seeing, so it always felt peaceful.
Marion's family live on site too, so there was a real family warmth, with lots of people to chat to and get recommendations for visits from. They were really friendly and the perfect hosts. We enjoyed home-made bread and jams from Marion's daughter, and eggs fresh from her chickens every day - perfctly idyllic!
The house had everything we needed for our stay, it was very well equipped, with a barbecue in the garden and a pinic table to sit at if you want to eat outside.
The house is a short walk from Ribeira Grande (1km) with lots of bars, restauarants, beaches and ice-cream for a lovely evening wander in to town. You can watch the sunset from the pier at the end of the day. We got lucky and landed during the Medieval Fair, so the place was buzzing!
This is a great spot to explore the island from - just a short distance to some of the most popular sites, as well as more secret spots for lovely walks and swims in the sea. It's a bit more chilled than Ponta Delgada, but only 30 mins away for the boat trips etc.
A perfect stay for our family - we absolutely loved our time on the island and in the house. Thank you Marion - we hope to be back one day!