Relaxing holidays and weekend breaks in nature in Central Portugal
Explore Traditional Rural Portugal
Relaxscape is a peaceful nature sanctuary based on sustainable tourism principles, near Tomar, by some of the most beautiful lakes and river beaches in Central Portugal. The house, my home, is an old olive farm with more than 100 trees surrounding the property, in the small, quiet village of Cardal on the edge of the river Zêzere, close to Ferreira do Zêzere and the Castelo do Bode swimming and boating lake. The property has been restored to be as eco-friendly as possible, while still keeping a focus on style and comfort, and everything I do here at Relaxscape is based around sustainable practices and respect for nature.
There is one café in the village, a short walk away. Cardal is 8km from the small but well-equipped town of Ferreira do Zêzere which has cafés, restaurants, shops, several supermarkets, banks, pharmacies, a petrol station and a fresh food market every Monday morning. There is no public transport, so you will need a car during your stay. 17km away is the larger Tomar, with its charming medieval cobbled streets and Knights Templar history.
The accommodation
Each individual bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom, with private toilet, some with bath as well as a shower, and some just with a shower. There are three good-sized single rooms, two with showers and one with a bathtub as well, and three rooms with double beds, one with just a shower and two of which have also have deep soak baths with spectacular views over the olive grove, cork trees and forests.
Some have TVs, although I like to encourage people to be outside enjoying nature's show rather than the TV! Downstairs, there is a big shared kitchen, dining-room and lounge, leading out to the sun terrace with comfy sofas and sun loungers, and an outside kitchen area for barbecue or churrasqueira as it’s known in Portugal.
Enjoy some art, crafts, mindfulness, yoga, massage, meditation, forest bathing during your holiday
I also live on the property, with my three cats and two sheep! and use the shared facilities, so am on hand if need be to help you to make the most out of your stay.
If you would like to try some creative activities during your holiday break I can arrange workshops and masterclasses with local artists and crafts people (depending on their availability), or if you are after a mindfulness or wellbeing experience, you might prefer some yoga, yoga nidra, guided meditations, sound frequency work, forest bathing experience, chakra balancing, massages, or other alternative therapies.
Check out the Local Area page for some suggestions of places to visit and things to do in this beautiful region of Tomar, Santarém and Ferreira do Zêzere.