When we feel that the rush of our everyday lives takes the best of us, it’s time to stop and relax, visit places where we feel safe and calm: Our roots. The Historical Villages of Portugal conserve intact marks of Portuguese ancestry. This is why they are the perfect recommendation for a well-deserved pause from daily routine.

In Castelo Rodrigo, for example, we find excellent suggestions for accommodations, where the landscapes of a gorgeous historical village meet the dedication of the people who receive us. And we know well that the Beira people are famous for their hospitality.

Casa da Amendoeira (Almond Tree House), located inside the walls of the Historical Village of Castelo Rodrigo, is one of this village’s proposal for a getaway or vacation in nature. A field house that has been renewed and transformed into accommodation where refinement and attention to detail stand out in each small nicety, conceived to embrace its guests in the greatest comfort. The rooms are inspired by musical genres, such as blues, bossa nova, fado, and flamenco, to remind guests of music’s therapeutic powers, Casa da Amendoeira is even known for promoting guided visits, with consultation at the accommodation.

In Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, we find Casa da Cisterna, where the past and the present meet. With nine rooms and two suites, restored and adapted to a new life, a pool, and a balcony with an immense view (to have a small lunch or dinner), this unit is an excellent accommodation option. The property of Ana and António, two Lisbonite biologists who converted to rural enchantments, Casa da Cisterna provides delicacies for little ones and big ones for the comfort and activities it promotes, such as donkey rides or jeep rides. Ana and António protect the donkeys of Miranda, raising them in Casa da Cisterna.

Quinta de Pêro Martins is another accommodation option in Castelo Rodrigo that can’t be missed, the rural tourism house of Sara and Miguel, two architects who fell in love for this zone replete with traditional architecture, awe-inspiring landscapes, and welcoming people. Having graduated in architecture, Sara and Miguel decided to restore a Beira house with its typical architecture with comfort, modernity, and attention to details, where they receive everyone who visits as if they were a part of the family. Here the motif is to feel right at home, but with small and personalized treats in the middle of nature.

And because the Historical Villages of Portugal promise to return the taste for life’s pleasures, an excellent suggestion to savor the region’s typical dishes could not go missing. Taverna da Matilde is the restaurant to visit in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo in order to taste the region’s intense, strong flavors. This restaurant was born in August 2011, in a space where the first game room operated. The space justifies the name with its simple décor, attached to the image we have of old taverns. Tablecloths with small white and red checkers rest on the wooden tables. A robust iron scale, which is currently out of order, reminds us of times when commercial relations were made with proximity. An old sieve lies on a wood chest. A place where we feel united with the rural world and its tranquility, values, and traditions.

Therefore, there are more than enough reasons to visit the Historical Villages of Portugal and the fantastic suggestions in Castelo Rodrigo, where life’s pleasures come in first place.