Comfortable rural cottage in ancient village in the Douro region
- Cabin60 m²
- Sleeps: 7
- Bedrooms: 2
- Bathrooms: 1
- Min Stay: 2 nights
Restored 2 bedroom cottage with living room, kitchen, bathroom and terrace
Bedrooms
Property Manager
Cecilia Zino
- Languages:
- english, french, portuguese, swedish
About Cecilia Zino
I am a Swedish citizen, but resident in Portugal since 1983.
Why Cecilia Zino chose Lazarim
My husband and I live in Madeira, but normally we spend our holidays getting to know continental Portugal. We have fallen in love especially with Northern Portugal, because of its rich cultural heritage, the natural beauty of the landscape, the natural way of life, and, not least, the natural goodness of its people.
What makes this Cabin unique
In Mazes and the abandoned village of Antas just above, you can still see traces of how the Portuguese country people have lived for perhaps the last 2000 years. Enjoy the peace , the wide views of the mountain landscape, the sound of the bells around the goats' necks, the walks and the discoveries that you can make in the surrounding areas.
Amenities
Featured
- Pets Welcome
- Fireplace
- TV
- Satellite or cable
- Children Welcome
- No Smoking
- Heater
Bathrooms
- Bathrooms: 1
House Rules
Check-in: 6:00 pm
Check-out: 12:00 pm
No parties/events
No smoking
Pets allowed
Children allowed
Max guests:7
1. Inform us if you break anything 2.Move furniture back in their place if you changed it. 3. Don't leave young children unattended on the veranda.
Cancellation Policy
100% refund if canceled at least 30 days before arrival date. 50% refund if canceled at least 14 days before arrival date.
34 Reviews
Comfortable rural cottage in the Douro Valley
My brother and I (both seniors and English speakers from the USA) were vacationing in Portugal. We loved our stay in the Rural Cottage . The cottage was over 200 years old with granite walls approx. 2 ft. thick. The entire cottage was remodeled, very clean and wonderful.
The cottage was really in Mazes, not Lazirim. Without a GPS, the cottage was difficult to locate. The caretakers daughter Sandra (fluent in English) was our main contact and VERY helpful.
The owner Cecelia provided a great introduction to the rural cottage.
Although not hazardous. I would have welcomed a railing leading to the front entrance.
Joseph Reardon
Thank you for your comments and suggestions. The path where you want to put the railing does not belong to us, but I will look in to the possibility of putting a rail there anyway. The main entrance is really at the other side of the house, by the bathroom.
Adorable get-away
This house is snug, quiet and comfortable, located in a very small ancient village with steep narrow cobblestone streets. The narrowest passage is marked at 2 meters wide, so don't try to take a big car. But it's worth the effort to get there! When you drive up through the village looking for the property, keep going past the first village fountain. If you see the second fountain, you are just above the property. Stop, turn around and park right below the property where the road is a little wider. The nice man who lived there helped us park.
We thoroughly enjoyed sitting outside on the terrace at the stone table, listening to the water trickle through the stone fountain, watching the villagers pass by with their loads of straw and wood on their heads, or the goatherd with his flock.
The house was clean, beds were comfortable, plenty of hot water in the bathroom. The only bathroom is located on the ground floor, along with the main entry. One flight up is the living room, kitchen and a bedroom with twin beds. This level also leads out to the terrace. The stone fireplace is cute but did not have a grill when we were there, so it was unusable. Another flight up is a sort of mezzanine with a double bed and a couple of long sleeping benches under a sloped roof with limited standing room. The stone walls are about two feet thick and the wood framed addition to the original stone was nicely done. I found the ambiance perfectly charming.
We hiked up to the "ancient" village further up the hill but I think both Mazes and that "ancient" village likely date from the same time period. The architecture is identical. If you want a quiet get-away, stay here. Although the church bells don't actually play Ave Maria, you will still enjoy the ambiance of a time long past.
You write better about the property than I do! :) Sorry the grill part was missing- I will make sure a new one is bought. The reason I call Anta "ancient"
is that I know some of the pavements and bridges up there are from the time of the germanic kingdom (the Swabs, or Suevos in Portuguese, ruled the area around the 5th and 6th centuries A.D). Since the architecture didn't change much over time, it is difficult to date the houses. I have only been told that the ones with well fitted big, square stones belonged to the "rich" and the ones with small irregular stones belonged to the poor.
Peaceful Getaway
We love the authenticity of the stone cottage. It was well appointed, particularly the kitchen. We were pleased to find an outdoor table and benches and spent time lounging pig in the yard, enjoying the activities of the village. Watching the goats being herded, washing being done in the local water source and the stunning sunsets made our time in Mazes a relaxing and peaceful getaway.
Yes, the things which you pointed out are exactly what makes this place so special. We are delighted that you enjoyed it!
Remote mountain village get away
We loved staying in Mazes. The house was quaint with very old traditional construction but with modern conveniences inside. The village is awesome and he people very friendly. The walk up to the old village on top of the hill is a must.
The moutain, the goats and the locals: a little piece if heaven!
By far the most quiet, comfy, out of the way place: a mixture of modern with the old ways. The traffic here is goats and sheep!! The last kilometer is pretty exilerating since it’s soo steep!!! Loved it!!
Thank you, and welcome back sometime!
Unique, quaint stone cottage
Our experience was fantastic. The caretaker, Sandra, was very gracious and helpful settling us in and she spoke great English. The location in village feels like living in another time and world. The locals are very friendly. The cottage is well equipped, lacking nothing. Thouroughly recommended. Thank you.
Great to have you to stay.
Map
The cottage is located in the ancient village of Mazes, where people live and work much in the same way as 500 years ago. It is near historic Lamego, first capital of Portugal, in the Douro region, famous for its wine production and stunning panoramic landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage. Take a boat ride up the river towards Spain, visit Foz Coa with its prehistoric rock paintings. Discover the trails left by Celts, Romans, Visigoths and Arabs, and help solve the mysteries of medieval symbols left by the Cistercians and Templarians. If you are looking for adventure, there are opportunities for mountain climbing, cycling, canoeing, hunting and fishing - all within 25 min by car. From the village of Mazes you can walk up to Anta - an abandoned village of Celtic origin- or to the old mills, where you can bathe under the waterfalls. There are plenty of festivals in the summer, and the Carnival in nearby Lazarim is famous . This is Portugal at its most genuine.