What to do in mAtinha

There is a lot to do at Matinha. And then again, there is an awful lot you don’t have to do! The open and pure Atlantic Ocean is  only 15 minutes drive away; at sundown it is not uncommon to  celebrate the day with a homemade picnic and champagne, sitting on the beach watching the waves burst and the sunset glow.

The romantic side

There is something magical about mAtinha. In the summer when you lie out on a hammock at night, you can see the sky light up with billions of stars and far off planets.Funnily enough, it is the same thing on those very hot summer nights in the swimming pool! This is a great place to fire up your passionate side...

Horse riding

There are 5 horses in the Matinha stable, who know the surrounding countryside almost as well as the local shepherds. Kids can ride with or without their parents, but always with supervision. Alternatively, adults can take a ride together, wherever their imagination leads them. The beach? Into the hills? Into the village?
Visit the horses

Cuisine, food. The kitchen

Dinner is always a momentous occasion. You sit down to a candle lit table; cool jazz plays in the background. Lovers speak lovingly across the table in whispers. Families raise their wine glasses and toast the chef. Up to half a dozen people will be in the kitchen, preparing the 3, 4 or 5 courses; fresh squid , carpaccio of roast beef, a roasted lamb, hand delievered by Sr José the local shepherd;, a seafood stew with lime; blends and fusion of Portuguese, Mediterranean, Oriental and Indian dishes that are mentioned in Stephen Snow’s “BYRON, cooking and living”. mAtinha does not have a Michelin Recommendation rating for nothing. The food is simply divine. And dinners at Matinha have been known to go on into the early morning hours....
Visit The Table

Walkabouts

The surrounding 120 hectares of H d M is untarnished, Mediterrranean countryside. Stripped cork trees, with dates written on their exposed skins provide welcome shade for the shepherds and their dogs. Goat and sheep lazily chomp on wild herbs and vegetation. Kestrels and Bonelli Eagles, circle effortlessly in the blue skies overhead.
If you keep your eyes peeled whilst walkabout, you will sometimes come across bright green frogs in the grass as well as black and yellow-speckled salamanders.

Paths and dusty roads wind through the surrounding hillls, thick with pine, cork and strawberry tree groves. The sea, for the more adventurous trekker, is a gentle 2 hour walk westwards; it is worth it, just to see the majesty of the open sea and the sky at the end of the day which turns into a hazy purple/ pink colour.