Traditional Village House on Lisbon Coast, with Ocean-view Terraces

We stayed in Azoia for as our base for exploring the beaches and Sintra and absoutely loved it. We were with three young children, and the house was perfect. We could walk to get groceries or eat out and it was a short drive to beautiful cliff-side walks, beaches, restaurants and only 20 minutes to Sintra. The house is gorgeous - old and cozy and unique and comes with everything you need for your stay. Azoia has an incredible peacefulness and feels like a real village, not a tourist town. Tom and Chris were extremely helpful and provided information on the town and how to reach the various sites of interest. We tried out several beaches around Azoia and later went south to the silver coast and the Algarve. The beaches around Azoia were just as lovely and wild, and far less busy with more interesting towns to visit. If we come back, we would like stay in this area again and not head south.

my sister, friend and I spent seven days exploring portugal from our home base at Casa Saracena. I wouldn't have wanted any other way to have spent a week in Portugal. We wanted a very casual and relaxing experience. Day trips from Azoia were easy to see Sintra, Cachcais, Fatima and Obidos. Weary from our travels it was a pleasure to sit on the high terrace of Casa S with our local wine and ocean views and walk a short distance to the local restaurants. A highlight of our trip were the painting lessons Tom gave us in his charming studio.....he has immense talent.

Take your stilettos off and throw away your blackberry and enjoy.

We very much enjoyed staying in a typical Portuguese village. The house was certainly not lacking in character but perhaps needs just a little more loving care (and more modern electrics!). The owner is an artist living locally; his house and studio are in a lovely spot in the village, with a fantastic view. We liked the fact that the local old wash-house is a focal point of the village, with different traders each day.
In Almocageme we discovered the "chicken-lady", who sells cooked chicken for lunch, with crisps on the side - maybe not the healthiest of meals, but good and tasty. Nearby Plaia da Agraga reminded me of some of the better Cornish beaches, though the currents can make swimming dangerous.
Visiting Cabo da Roca is a must, however tourist-ridden it is! On the way is a track marked "Ursa", something that we didn't spot until the last (wet) day. We think that this is a track to the local beach, which we previously had failed to find!
Off the main road near to Azoia, following the sign to Penhinas, we drove then walked through the forest, which in places is scattered with enormous boulders, and the view from the top is spectacular.
We also especially enjoyed a visit to Palacio da Pena, described in the Rough Guide as a "compelling riot of kitsch", and indeed great fun.
Despite the heavy rain at the end of the week, which seeped into the house, it was a good holiday, and we felt that we'd seen a corner of the real Portugal.