Brummell Recommends: Octant Douro, Portugal

Tell anyone you are heading to Portugal on a mini-break, and you’ll see an excited, if not envious, face appear. Regardless of what any list or poll will tell you, Portugal, particularly the city of Lisbon and increasingly Porto, garners one of the most positive responses from jet-setters, and once you land in this beautiful county, it’s not hard to see why.

Brummell flew into Porto’s Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, just two hours and 20 minutes from London Heathrow, on route to one of Portugal’s most picturesque regions: the Douro Valley, specifically Castelo de Paiva for a stay at Octant Douro – one of the most serene and beautifully positioned hotels we have stayed at. Even the taxi ride from the airport provided ample photographic opportunities – from colourful street art in the city to sweeping valleys as we entered the rural countryside, where a myriad of trees from fig and orange to olive, almond and oak come together in a kind of Mediterranean sensory convention.

Tell anyone you are heading to Portugal on a mini-break, and you’ll see an excited, if not envious, face appear. Regardless of what any list or poll will tell you, Portugal, particularly the city of Lisbon and increasingly Porto, garners one of the most positive responses from jet-setters, and once you land in this beautiful county, it’s not hard to see why.

Brummell flew into Porto’s Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, just two hours and 20 minutes from London Heathrow, on route to one of Portugal’s most picturesque regions: the Douro Valley, specifically Castelo de Paiva for a stay at Octant Douro – one of the most serene and beautifully positioned hotels we have stayed at. Even the taxi ride from the airport provided ample photographic opportunities – from colourful street art in the city to sweeping valleys as we entered the rural countryside, where a myriad of trees from fig and orange to olive, almond and oak come together in a kind of Mediterranean sensory convention.

Built into the side of the rocky valley, Octant Douro is an oasis of simplicity and calm inside and out. Its modern design with room dividers, comfortable seating, natural materials and a calming neutral colour palette acts in direct contrast to the vibrant views framed by every window. There is no room for wild artistic distractions, overt colour combinations or intrusive sounds. It is nature that leads the sensory way at Octant Douro.

The room
Our room, much like the rest of the hotel, is a sensory haven. It’s spacious enough to do cartwheels in the entrance hall, where we have enough storage space to move our entire wardrobe in. The bathroom, complete with walk-in shower and bath is tiled in marble – a mini spa away from spa, with fresh white robes and slippers (replenished daily) and sustainable Octant-brand toiletries, which smell divine and mirror the range used in the spa. There is even the option to save the environment and keep the same towels and robes for each day of your stay. The entrance hall opens out into the bedroom area, a large super comfortable bed sits in direct view of the river and mountains outside. During our stay, we opted to keep the curtains open to be woken by the sun over the mountains at dawn, our peaceful drystone terrace overlooking the river below, a welcome place to enjoy a morning coffee before breakfast.

The food and drink
The view is not the only thing speaking for itself at Octant Douro, the authentic Portuguese food and wine offering is also shouting loud. The hotel’s exquisite Raiva restaurant on the first floor a lesson in pared-back elegance. Large tables, floor to ceiling windows, comfortable seating and ambient music; the perfect setting for the selection of delicious and innovative small plates that followed. We devoured Arouca chestnut soup with celery and chestnuts (nuts are big in Portugal) followed by poached Atlantic sea bass, Arouquesa rump steak and oxtail rice with sautéed mine mushrooms and rounded off with a mouthwatering chocolate tart with Douro hazelnuts – a treat you won’t want to miss. Each course was paired with a delicious local wine. Raiva is also the location for breakfast, a more vibey affair but still just as elegant. With a small, refined menu of egg-based dishes and an ‘anything goes’ buffet with everything from buttery sweet potato and a variety of breads and spreads, to pastries, cakes and even a champagne station should the need take you at 8am.

For a more relaxed dining experience there is À Terra Bar and Canteen on the ground floor serving sandwiches, pizzas, salads, soups and sharing boards, alongside a selection of classic cocktails. Live music every Friday night from singer and guitarist Zema Monteiro adds extra flavour to a deliciously relaxed evening of pizza and pisco sours.

The activities
The trademark Portuguese hospitality is ever-present at Octant Douro. From a morning “ola” to organising trips and wine tastings for us, it was a flawless and enjoyable service. The hotel offer an incredible boat trip to the Ilha dos Amores about 45 minutes along the Douro River. Our skipper, Francisca imparted fascinating historical and cultural facts about the area to us along the way as the water glistened in the sun with a cool box of delicious local wines, beers and soft drinks at our disposal. We were left to explore the island and enjoy a delectable picnic of sandwiches, salads and fruit prepared by the hotel, complete with gingham tablecloth and another fabulous view.

Back at the hotel, the sleek and minimalist spa is a real breath of fresh air. With beautiful views of the Douro River and its high sloping banks, it is the ideal place to unwind, especially from its dreamy indoor infinity pool, one of three pools at Octant Douro. The sauna and steam rooms also boast the same fantastic view that never gets old. There is a heated terrace pool overlooking the river on one side and a third pool on the top floor where a bar and barbecue keeps you well-fed and suitably hydrated as you swim with a view. The top floor pool has the most incredible vista but, unheated, is a haven better suited to cold-therapy enthusiasts.

Brummell enjoyed a massage in the spa’s candlelit therapy rooms, an ambient and incredibly relaxing experience as you would expect, using its signature Moss treatment oils and creams. Made using herbs and botanicals that have been used as part of the practice for centuries by healers, it is instantly rejuvenating for the whole body and smells divine.

After an impromptu trip to Portugal’s second largest city, Porto – a 45-minute taxi drive from Octant Douro – to explore its riverside eateries, colourful, red-tiled houses and majestic cathedral and churches, we returned to the hotel for a super fun wine tasting with its charismatic in-house expert, Bernardo. This was a potted history of wines (and olive oils) from the Douro valley with tasting notes and tips on how to pair with local nuts, cheese and meat, which culminated in the piece de resistance: Douro’s very own 10-year-old tawny port wine, a deliciously rich and fruity concoction, aged in wood and only available at Octant Douro, served from a giant bottle.

The bill
Rooms start at €200 per night with breakfast. The Raiva tasting menu starts at €115 per person with wine pairing. Lunch for two with cocktails in À Terra Bar & Canteen from €70. Boat trip with picnic €300 per person.

The verdict
Octant Douro is a surefire way to ensure you get the best out of your trip to Portugal. From the generous and abundant hospitality to the deliciously authentic food, organised mini adventures in the local area, and the incredible selection of local wines and olive oils, it has everything you need for you to sample the best the region has to offer. The hotel is a real feast for the senses: magnificent vistas of the river and verdant valleys; the subtle and calming aromas of natural oils wafting from the spa, and herbs and spices growing in the areas around the hotel; delicious food and wine; and a welcome blend of the blissful sounds of nature and uplifting live music – it is a serene haven that should be top of your list when booking a break in the beautiful Douro Valley.

Octant Douro, Estrada Nacional 222 km 41, 4550-631 Castelo de Paiva, Portugal; octanthotels.com

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Source: Brummell

20 November 2022
Octant Hotels
12 January 2023
Octant Hotels