Reviews of Property: Summary of Casa Yavanna 6 Bedrooms, Sleeps 11

Six of us from the US spent a week in both houses, as we each wanted a bedroom of our own. Each morning we would all gather in the Casa Yavanna kitchen for our sumptious breakfast, and there we would plan our itinerary for the day. Both Casas were clean, well-maintained, and aesthetically decorated. The kitchens lacked virtually nothing. It was a pleasure to be in the surroundings of both the houses and the well-manicured gardens. Some days we wanted to see cathedrals and castles; other days we wanted the coastal towns and grilled sardines; other days we just wanted to wander the streets of quaint, nearby towns, buy pottery and linens, and "live" the life of Northern Portugal. Be sure to get to Mateus if you want to see an outstanding palace/castle and taste some very good wines. Mateus is several hours away from the villas, so plan that trek for at least a 1/2 day trip. Be sure to get to Bom Jesus Church, where one can walk the stations of the cross. Awesome. Our favorite neighborhood restaurant was Marco's, where no matter the hour of our arrival, we were greeted with welcoming smiles. The food is good and basic: fish, meat and potatoes with salad. That became standard fare in many restuarants for the most part. Eunice and Mark are excellent hosts for both Casas; they are so hospitable, accommodating and flexible, even when we flooded the laundry room! (ugly Americans!) We would all recommend the Casas to anyone; Home Away presented the particulars of these villas in a very realistic way, and in short, there were no negative surprises. The places are hidden away, so stick to the dirctions given out by Mark and Eunice. Don't second guess anything, or you will find yourself in a lovely labrinth of farmland and vineyards. The Casas are a great place!! Go there, you will love it. And be sure to swim in the salt water pool, no matter what the temperature.

We have been in Yavanna for nearly 3 weeks.We lived in both houses and enjoyd it very much.Both houses are very speciall an we dont know which house we loved more.It was a nice feeing living in
a typical portugiese house.

We have spent a wonderful 2 weeks at Yavanna. Our 3 families 12 people in total), with 6 children ranging from 11 to 14 years old, had a great time. The children especially enjoyed the pool and kayaking on the Minho river.
We all enjoyed Sians port tasting and paella evening! If possible we would definately recommend booking Sian for at least one evening to anyone staying at Yavanna.
There are plenty of places to visit in the area with endless beaches where you can always find a quiet place away from crowds of people. The gardens at Yavanna are beatiful and there are several areas to sit or sunbathe in.
The scenery in Northern Portugal is lovely ranging from pituresque towns to stunning countryside.
Finally we have to mention the warm welcome we received from Eunice who was always helpful but never intrusive.

We loved Yavanna and fell in love with northern Portugal. The place is so welcoming and peaceful that we didn't feel the need venture out very much, although there is no shortage of excursions. We were two families there, and our children, between 8 and 12, loved Yavanna and made us promise to go back. Yavanna is obviously loved by Eunice and Mark (the owners)...it shows in the details. They are very upfront about things that could effect guests, like animal noises at night (which didn't bother me in the least). We took lovely walks from the house, went kayaking, had BBQs, and more. We have done many vacation rentals and Yavanna is definitely at the top of the list.

Two of us had a wonderful month of May at Casa Gabriel. During the time we were there we were joined by two friends and subsequently by our two daughters and their partners. We all agreed that the peaceful tranquility of Yavanna and the unobtrusive hospitality of Eunice and Mark contributed greatly to our enjoyment.Casa Gabriel is a lovely house with 3 bedrooms all en-suite and an ideal location for visiting the many beautiful places within easy driving distance. The fruit trees, gardens, swimming pool, surrounding countryside, restaurants and clean fresh air all helped to make this a holiday we will remember.

Eunice and Mark made us feel so welcome from the moment we arrived, despite an early dip in the pool by our fully clothed son-his older brother swears it was an accident! The pool was fab, even on a chilly day in April. Sitting at the granite table sipping Yavanna wine on the first evening was pure bliss.The houses are beautifully decorated and every need is catered for. The gardens are ample even for the most active families-Mark is sometimes up for a game of footie which balances out the teams! Our sons loved the kayaking on the Minho-an amazing way to see the countryside. A bikeride along the winding lanes is a must according to Kareem aged 10. Eating out is a bit hit and miss and it is ridiculously easy to over-order. The beaches are beautiful and windswept as only Atlantic coast beaches can be. Information sheets are provided on arrival at Yavanna. These provide details of local beaches and towns. A trip to Spain is easy as it is only 20 minutes away! Northern Portugal is very beautiful but if we return it will be for the wonderful peaceful Yavanna.

I agree with the previous review entirely. We were two families with children aged 11,13,15 & 16.

Pool area and gardens superb, beautiful location, fabulous views.

I would add that the kitchen is very well equipped and the whole property maintained to very high standards.

Eunice is clearly devoted to the project and to offering tourism with a low impact on the local traditions and culture. Also the cleaning team of local ladies were delightful and very friendly.

It was good value even in August but I understand you could get good rates on only part of the property out of season. I'd love to return with just my wife for a romantic getaway.

Highly recommended

We went to Yavanna as a group of 6 adults and one 12 year old girl. The welcome from Eunice and Mark was so warm, the house and gardens were given over to us but it was also lovely have them both just down the garden.
Yavanna and the surrounding gardens are beautiful. The pictures on the website cannot fully show how much land is at your disposal.

All the facilities are well above what we expected. The bedrooms all have amazing views over the valley to the hills in the background.

The pool - well its amazing - huge - much bigger than we expected and was used by us everyday. Breakfasts, lunches and evening were all enjoyed in different parts of the gardens - a new experience every time.

The local area is great to explore and the local bars are so inexpensive that we brought money back home!

The gents in the team went cycling - directions and bikes kindly provided by Mark - not too strenuous and many bars visited by them.

Kayaking was enjoyed by the team, again recommended by Eunice - and all had a great time.

The local villages have great restaurants - and evening shopping - what lovely memories.

Hope to visit again soon - so much left to see and enjoy.

We would all recommend this venue for the welcome, the facilitiies, the view, the beaches, the chance to nip over to Spain and so much more.