My husband and I stayed and Victor and Laura's Alcaria Branca for almost 6 weeks during February and March. Our plan was to escape the worst of the Canadian winter in the sunny Algarve. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and it was cold, rainy and windy for most of our stay. This didn't stop us from exploring, though, and every day we did day trips throughout the Algarve. Alcaria Branca is situated within about an hour's driving distance of some of the highlights of the area, and within about 2 hours you can be in Seville, Spain (not to be missed) or into the rolling hills of the Alentejo. The house itself was clean and the property manager, Vitor, was beyond great. Due to the weather we had to make full use of the heating sources (pellet stove, fireplace and portable propane heater) and he was there to maintain, stock and ensure our comfort. He checked in on us from time to time and he was always just a phone call away. The separate apartment (our daughter and son-in-law stayed there for a week) was charming and perfectly self-contained. We didn't use the swimming pool, but it's a lovely tiled pool that would be a godsend in the warmer months. The only reason this home didn't get a 5-star rating is that we found the bed a bit uncomfortable. This may be a personal preference, but both my husband and I found the bed in the master very hard. A memory foam topper would have made it perfect. Overall, this is a lovely home situated in farmland amongst orange and olive groves. And we thank the owners very much for a lovely stay.