Convento do Seixo

Granite walls run through every room here, left rough where the original convent stood and now set against copper, green or blue accents. The building dates to the sixteenth century, raised as a convent in Aldeia de Joanes and later reworked into a hotel that keeps its old stone bones under a contemporary layer of comfort. It sits in the Fundão area of the Castelo Branco district, close to the historic town centre and within reach of the Serra da Gardunha, a protected stretch of hills that gives the region its shape. Rooms range from a Superior Room with garden views to a Deluxe Room of 28 m² with a fireplace, up to King Suites with extra-large beds and freestanding tubs. Villas add a terrace, fireplace and a small kitchen, aimed at longer stays rather than a single night. There is an indoor and an outdoor pool, a spa with massage treatments, and a restaurant and bar serving breakfast each morning. The Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela lies 44 km away, and Castelo Novo, a walled village, is 14 km off. You can walk to the old town in under twenty minutes. Rooms come with air conditioning, minibar and coffee machine as standard. It is a quiet, granite-toned base for exploring a part of Portugal that still runs at its own pace.