Ha Mar ao Luar

Rooms

There's a suite with a private entrance connected to the main house, while in the garden you'll find 4 more retreats: a windmill, a couple of cabins and a huge suite tucked under the terrace. They all have a kitchenette so you can do simple self-catering with ease.

Our favourite was the Moinho do Luar (aka the windmill) which dates to 1802. Here you can lie in bed and gaze out through French windows on the ocean below - great for a special occasion.

We also loved the private Casinha, a small wooden cabin tucked into a lush corner of the garden. Throw open the glass doors and step into a small but colourful world: vibrant tiles, a day bed in the sitting room and an uncluttered bedroom. Also charming is the Refuge, which has a whole wall of glass, opening onto a private terrace.

The Blue Suite is connected to the main house, but has a private entrance. You get a bedroom and a sitting room, plus a bougainvillea-shaded terrace. Expect stripped wood floors, cast-iron daybeds, white walls to soak up the light, dining tables inside and out.

The latest addition is Sea's Hut, a rustic duplex cabin with an open plan double bedroom, sitting area, kitchenette and private balcony. Though we haven't seen it for ourselves yet, we think the secluded treehouse vibe would suit a couple seeking privacy and romance. It's a more simple offering than the others and is recommended for summer stays.

Features include:

• Central heating
• Coffee / tea making
• Cots available
• Fan
• Radio
• TV

Eating

All rooms have kitchenettes with a couple of hobs, a fridge and a microwave, so you can prepare picnic lunches or whip up pasta and soups. If you wanted to cook dinner you could, but most people retreat from the pool for a spot of home-made lunch, then head down to town for a bite in the evening. There's plenty of choice, from traditional fare to tasty fish and seafood. Equally, you could head west along the peninsular to find good fish restaurants at most of the beaches.

For a small extra fee, breakfast ingredients can be left in your room for you to prepare at a time that suits you. In the morning, small loaves of freshly-baked bread are delivered to the front door, and you’ll find your kitchenette stocked with milk and juice, cheese and ham, chocolate, butter and jam. There’s coffee and tea, too.

Features include:

• Fridge
• Full kitchen
• Kitchenette
• Microwave
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Wander the alleyways of Setúbal, filled with shops and restaurants, and browse the produce at the daily market (except Monday)
  
• Take to the water and search for dolphins or sail the estuary of the Rio Sado and look for flamingos (boats leave from the marina)
  
• Explore the Arrábida Hills and find the Arrábida Convent (it dates to the 14th century), pretty white villages, the beaches at Galapos (great scuba diving) and Portinho da Arrábida (popular fish restaurants).
  
• The grape harvest festival at Palmela takes place on the first Sunday in September and is very well attended; the odd drop gets drunk
  
• Take the ferry (passenger and car) to the Tróia Peninsula; try Tróia for Roman ruins or golf, Comporta for 30 miles of beach (don’t expect a crowd), Alcácer do Sal for the Sado Estuary (canoe trips and flocks of flamingos), Santiago do Cacém (where the Knights Templar defeated the Moors in 1157) for the well-preserved ruins of a hilltop castle and a pretty old town below.
  
• Lisbon is close. If you don’t want to stay in the city, but wish to visit, you can drive (40 minutes), take the train (an hour) or park the car at Almada and take the ferry across the mighty Rio Tejo

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Golf
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming

Best Time to go

Our Top Tips

Location

Ha Mar ao Luar is 5 minutes by car outside Setúbal, 50km south of Lisbon on the coast. It is 7 minutes from the nearest railway station.

By Air:
Lisbon Portela Airport (40km) is the closest (about 45 minutes-1hour away). Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving it.

From the Airport
Jump in a taxi or hire a car (see below).

By Car:
See our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

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