Our recent trip to Portugal and Spain lasted four weeks, which was longer than any trip we’ve taken previously. Most of our previous vacations have been seven to twelve-day cruises, usually with two or three nights in a hotel before and/or after, or a week at an all-inclusive resort. In 2022 and 2023, we took 12-night land tours in France and Portugal, respectively, where we stayed in local hotels that included breakfast buffets.
This time, we stayed in rental apartments for several reasons. (We’re choosing not to call them B&Bs, since none of them offered breakfast.)
First, we (mostly Dave) wanted to live among the locals to more closely experience what it’s like to live in each place. We wanted to shop in the local grocery stores and eat in the local restaurants.
Second, considering the length of our stay, we wanted a washer. Four of the six rentals had washers. We also wanted a kitchen with a full-sized refrigerator/freezer and at least a microwave. We ate all breakfasts and many lunches in the apartment and ate dinners in restaurants. Plus, we’re both avid Coke Zero drinkers, so it was nice to be able to stock the refrigerator with soda and have ice cubes from the freezer. (There was no Diet Coke anywhere we went.)
Third, they were usually less expensive than hotels. Our rentals ranged from $103 to $182 per night, averaging $130.
Our experiences with the places we stayed were decidedly mixed.
On the plus side, they were clean, in safe neighborhoods, and the photos and descriptions in the listings were accurate. Of course, just as realtors photograph houses to maximum advantage, so do people who rent vacation homes. Some of the places turned out to be smaller than we expected. Two were basically studio apartments, with the bedroom, kitchen table, and living area all in one room. This was especially problematic, since Dave tends to stay up later than Jeff to use his laptop. Two had a separate bedroom, but no seating area and little room to spare. The other two apartments were large enough for a person or couple to live in comfortably. Predictably, we enjoyed those the most.
Our biggest complaint with most places was the uncomfortable beds. Many were cheaply furnished, and some provided a minimal amount of glasses, plates, silverware, and utensils, most of which were cheap. Others did better in that regard. Everywhere, the toilet paper was cheap and no facial tissues were provided.
Here’s a quick look at each place.
Cascais
Our place in Cascais had a pleasant exterior with a porch we never sat on. It was located in a decent neighborhood, although there were some abandoned and deteriorating buildings nearby. Our apartment was part of a larger house, which was also a rental. A second, smaller house behind this was also a rental. The entire property was enclosed in a tall security fence with a solid metal gate, which made us wonder how safe the area actually was. Most other properties in the area were similarly secured.
It was a fifteen-minute walk uphill from downtown Cascais, and a couple of blocks away from a few restaurants and a grocery store.
The interior was small and compact. It was sufficient, but nothing fancy. There was only the table and chairs; no living room furniture. We guessed that this unit was carved out of the larger house when the owner decided to convert the property to rentals.
The bedroom was large enough to hold a queen-size bed, and not much more. There were blackout shades, thankfully.
One nice feature that this place and a couple of other rentals had was windows that were hinged on both the side and the bottom, so they could be opened two ways. Opening the window using the bottom hinge would be useful if it rained.
Tavira
Our rental in Tavira was the nicest place we stayed. It was a 2-bedroom apartment that was large enough that one or two people could live there permanently. Our host, Iris, decorated it with a lot of whimsical, feminine touches. While it wasn’t the decor we would choose for our house, it made the place feel like a home and showed that someone had put some thought and effort into making it attractive. Perhaps it had been Iris’s home previously.
The bottle of wine was a nice touch. She also left a loaf of bread from a bakery and several other items in the refrigerator.
This apartment was nicely located just a couple of blocks from the center of town, so we could easily walk everywhere we wanted to go.
Our only complaint about this place was the tiny bathroom sink, with little room for two people to put their toiletries.
Carvoeiro
Our apartment in Carvoeiro was part of a large house that probably started as one large home before being divided into four rental units. It was located in a beautiful area of high-end homes, golf courses, and resorts.
Our unit consisted of one large room with a king-size bed, a small couch, and a kitchen table. There was a small galley kitchen and a bathroom. The surroundings were lovely, including the patio and pool right outside our door, but the interior was dark, plain, and sparsely furnished. Note that the TV was mounted where it would be difficult to watch from either the couch or the table.
The view was nice.
Ponta Delgada (São Miguel, the Azores)
This was the most expensive place we stayed, at $182/night. There weren’t many options in Ponta Delgada, so either real estate prices on São Miguel are high, there’s less competition, or the places that offered better value were already booked. In any case, this is what we got.
Both the kitchen cabinetry and the bed frame/headboard/nightstand unit were made of unfinished pressed particleboard.
The bed unit was cleverly designed to account for the fact that the wall behind it was not perpendicular to the side walls. Notice how the part against the wall gets wider from left to right. It was well-built, if not tasteful.
The kitchen/living area was awkwardly arranged. Note the microwave on top of the refrigerator, on the opposite side of the room from the rest of the kitchen. The TV is on a small stand below table level, making viewing awkward from either the table or the small, low 2-seat couch.
This is the exterior. The road was narrow, as were most roads on São Miguel, and cars parked on the sidewalk, hanging out into the street. This was commonplace everywhere we went in Portugal. We were able to find proper on-street parking a couple of blocks down the street.
Funchal (Madeira)
Our apartment in Funchal tied with Tavira for the nicest place we stayed, and it was certainly the largest. It had three bedrooms (two double beds and a twin), two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a spacious living/dining room.
A balcony ran along the entire front and back of the unit, so every room had a door out onto the balcony.
The apartment was nicely located in a mixed commercial/residential area. We found at least 20 restaurants within walking distance, as well as several small markets. Just down the street was an arts high school (the yellow four-story building on the left in the photo below), and we sometimes heard students practicing their instruments. (They were good, so it was enjoyable.) The Museum of Modern Art of Madeira was only a couple of blocks away.
The only downside to this apartment was the parking. Our unit had an assigned parking space in the parking garage underneath the building. However, the space was in the farthest corner, and it was extremely difficult to maneuver our rental car into and out of the space. Finally, we decided to park the car on the sidewalk across the street. This practice was commonplace, and the car could fit entirely off the street and still allow some space for pedestrians to pass.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Our apartment in Santa Cruz de Tenerife was on the 27th floor of a 32-story twin-towers building. Fortunately, the four elevators were quick and quiet and rarely stopped at other floors. The views were spectacular.
The water tank in the foreground had been converted into a cultural center called “Tanque.”
The apartment’s downtown location was also desirable. We were two blocks away from a large 3-story urban mall, with a Carrefour hypermarket and an outdoor patio on the top floor with several restaurants where we ate our dinners.
One day, we walked about 20 minutes north to a nice area with two of the museums we visited and a beautiful city park (see photos and descriptions here).
Sadly, while the location was excellent, the apartment was disappointing. It was a small one-room studio apartment. The bed was in the same room as the kitchen and seating area, making it difficult for Dave to stay up and work on his laptop after Jeff went to bed.
Yes, that’s dorm-room-style cement blocks and glass shelves creating a room divider. The coffee table, a side table, and a set of shelves in a corner were constructed using the same materials.
The bed was uncomfortable and the furniture was cheap. The sofa and love seat were squishy and poorly supported, and therefore uncomfortable to sit in. At least the room was arranged for good TV placement.
Unlike all the other places we stayed, this unit had no air conditioning. Given that the mean temperature ranges from 65-80°F throughout the year, the high in summer averages only 84 and the low in winter averages 60, it’s probably not needed. We frequently opened the windows to let some cool, fresh air in, and that sufficed. We noticed vents above the kitchen table, so perhaps there is building-wide heat in the winter. But we didn’t see a thermostat in the room.
Strangely, the washer was in the bathroom next to the toilet. We’re glad there was one. The shower enclosure had no door, ensuring that water would land outside the stall. There was no shelf for soap or shampoo (in fact, they provided only a cheap liquid body wash), and nothing to grab onto for support should you start to slip in the shower.
The apartment came with an assigned parking space in the underground garage. Thankfully, it was easier to maneuver the car in and out of the space without the risk of scratching it.
Since returning home, we have discussed whether we want to rent vacation homes on future trips or book hotels instead. Since Portugal is a poorer country than most others in western Europe, perhaps rental units are better in more prosperous countries. And hotels, especially older, less expensive ones, can be small and disappointing, too. We have slept in some very small rooms in Europe and Japan.
Many hotels include a nice breakfast buffet, so that’s a plus.
Having a washer and a full-size refrigerator/freezer is a definite advantage, and so is having more than one room.
The key is probably to book earlier so we’ll have a better selection, look more closely at the pictures, and be willing to spend more for a nicer place.