Photos courtesy of Pousada de Guimarães
It’s thought that this strategic hillside site once held a fortress in the late 10th century. Archaeologists have determined that a foundation in the northwest corner of the cloister is a Moorish-Arabic tower.
The Augustinian convent of Santa Marinha was built in 1154 by Dona Mafalda, the mother of Afonso Henrîques—the first king of Portugal—to honor the patron saint of pregnant women
Romanesque, Gothic, and Classical architecture was added over the centuries and in the 18th century, the grand interior halls and fountains.
Pamela’s Perspective
Guestrooms in the old wing, although small, have the most atmosphere. Many of them have great views of Guimarães. If you need room to move around in, then go for a room in the new wing. They are very comfortable, traditionally furnished, and have blue-and-white tiled baths.
Pousada de Guimarães
(Santa Marinha)
A 13th-century convent
Contact
Convento dos Agostinhos
4810-011 Guimarães
Tel: ++351 253 511 249
Fax: ++351 253 514 459
Official pousada website
Reserve with Booking.com
Fast facts
49 rooms and 2 suites
Double rooms: 110–228 euros
Suite: 154–313 euros
Rates include breakfast, tax,
and service.
Packages and discounts
available.
Open: all year
Getting there
The pousada is 3 km south of Guimarães in the Penha National Park.
What to do
On site: swimming pool
Nearby: golf; horseback
riding; hiking
In a magnificent setting overlooking Guimarães (“the cradle of Portugal”), this pousada ranks as one of the finest in the country.
On one side of the monastery stands a wonderful twin-steepled, stone church; on the other side a newer wing blends with the original architecture.
Inside you’ll find a stunning array of vaulted ceilings, stone pillars, cloisters, azulejos (tilework), terraces, and balconies. Museum quality pieces fill the public rooms.
Long, austere corridors lead to the guestrooms. In the atmospheric, original wing these rooms are installed in the original monks cells, where you have a combination of stone and plasterwork on walls thick enough to hold window seats. More spacious are the rooms in the attached “new” wing.
A stone dining room features regional cuisine. During fine weather, an inner cloister with a beautiful stone fountain in the middle opens up to a bar.
Surrounding the pousada is a formal garden that extends into park woodland.
Something special
Gorgeous azulejos dating back to the 18th century.
Won the National Architectural Award in 1985 for its fine restoration work