Mountains and nature, a pure and verdant essence make up the landscape that surrounds the boutique hotel Pena D’Água, located in Covilhã, at the gates of Serra da Estrela. This old 19th century building is today a retreat of tranquility and elegance where we have everything we need for an exemplary stay: service, hospitality, good cuisine and lots of comfort.
Pena D’Água Boutique Hotel & Villas has 33 different accommodation options – rooms, suites and villas – in the classic, executive, family and supreme categories. After a thorough renovation, one can feel the elegance and taste for detail, distinct architectural notes and superior quality, with no shortage of high ceilings, noble woods and the quality of textiles. In some of the rooms, four-poster beds made of chestnut wood testify the reuse of the building’s original beams, in a constant effort towards sustainability.
A project designed for hospitality and genuine comfort, in harmony with the natural environment in which it is located, where the mountain is a constant. The family home feeling is the best feature a hotel can convey when we are traveling. It is impossible to resist the charm of this Portuguese house, a mix of tradition and contemporaneity whose spaces are divided between the four buildings that make it up: Two historic buildings with individuality and two new buildings created from scratch, destined for the Villas and the Spa.
The swimming pools (outdoor and indoor) and the Spa are interconnected through a panoramic bridge and through the large garden patio, where there is a natural rock wall, olive trees and a spring water fountain that springs directly from Serra da Estrela. The access to the spa is made entirely from the inside, an added value on winter days. In the late afternoon, enjoying the sauna or a hot water dip while admiring the end of the day is a very relaxing experience.
In the Arte Nova Building we find the Açafrão restaurant, open directly to the public and with signature cuisine. The valuable golden spice that fascinated Europe is still today an illustrious ingredient in the city and well present in the menu of local flavors with a broad view of the world. In the morning, breakfast is enjoyed in a room full of natural light and with fresh, local ingredients, perfect for starting the day in the best way.
This natural immersion in the mountain inspires us to explore and anyone who knows Covilhã knows that this city is a living hub of dynamism, which goes far beyond snow or wool. We are at the gates of the largest Natural Park in Portugal and we take the opportunity to climb to the Serra da Estrela Tower where we are treated to a magnificent landscape. But if the top is stunning, the city offers a unique story. Pena D’Água provides tuc-tuc rides with guided tours around the city, the ideal means of transport for venturing through the narrow, sloping streets, discovering monuments, street art or the historic center.
Pena D’Água was once a measure used in sharing water, but today it is a hotel that is measured by the natural sharing of the entire surrounding environment, wisely designed to involve the city and the mountain and “this sensation makes us feel part of something bigger.” It’s a whole experience that you keep and that you want to repeat multiple times.
By Carla Branco
INFO: https://penadagua.com