Pousada

Pousada History

The idea of building a Pousada to welcome visitors to Marvao was first noted in 1946. Plans were drawn up for building a hotel on the site of the present town's council buildings. It is said by some that the project failed to go ahead because of rivalries between Marvao and the neighboring town of Castelo de Vide.

However, an energetic townsman, Jeremias da Conceicao Dias, inherited a house and combining his own resources with a bank loan, managed to buy the Sexton’s house next door, using them both to open the first tourist accommodation in this historic town, the aptly named "Estalagem Ninho D’Aguias" (Eagles’ Nest Inn).

Opening to the public in 1955/56, the inn had only five bedrooms, with a dining room and small lounge. After ten years under the management of Jeremias da Conceicao Dias, the hotel was taken over as a Pousada. The new Pousada first opened its doors to the public in September 1967, with a small extension increasing the number of rooms to eight and glassing in the terrace for use as a restaurant,thus offering the best panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

From eight rooms it grew to thirteen rooms in 1987, using the space provided by a small garden adjoining the dining room, and to 28 doubles and one suite in 1992, after a closure of 15 months for extension and conversion works. The work involved transforming the ruins of a former foundry located in front of the Pousada. The restaurant was kept in the same location and extended with the addition of a bar with cozy fireplace for winter evenings. A panoramic terrace was also added and all rooms were re-equipped with a mini-bar, radio satellite television, and direct telephone, heating, air conditioning and hair dryers.

In 2003 some changes started to happen once again, due to the acquisition of an old house adjoining the Pousada. Five bedrooms were improved by adding a small balcony in each one. 2 suites and a living room were built and the bar balcony was covered in order to be more comfortable, protected from the weather conditions. By the end of the improvements, in 2004, the decoration renovation gave to the Pousada a new look.

The Pousada boasts many features, making it a special place to stay. The cozy ambiance of the bedrooms and reception rooms is echoed in the simple decoration and almost family atmosphere. The rooms offer two completely different experiences: a few offer views of the stunning mountain landscape surrounding this hilltop town, while the rest face inwards into the lanes and alleyways of the old town, thus immersing visitors in a medieval world of granite and whitewashed houses.