Tickled Pink In Portugal | Casa Rosada, Castro Marim, Portugal

It seemed that last year absolutely everybody we knew (and loads of people we didn’t) visited Portugal. Although we were lucky enough to visit Venice, Paris and Marrakech we still felt like we were missing out (a meal at Bar Douro just didn’t cut it). We had the solution, a few days staying at Casa Rosada in the Algarve. Before visiting we did a little research, the first review I read began with a gushy ‘Staying here is like staying with friends, who just happen to run one of Europe’s most exquisite B&Bs’. Well this could be awkward because we would be staying with friends. Well actually an ex-publishing colleague of ours, Andrew, and his partner Rupert.

I say awkward because what if we didn’t like our stay? It’s far trickier to be honest to friends. Worse still, what if this friendship had faded, we hadn’t actually seen Andrew for nearly 10 years – although we kept in regular contact via Facebook. Luckily these pre-reunion jitters were completely unfounded. After a three-hour flight and a simple 40 minute drive we were sat at Andrew and Rupert’s dining table chatting about all things past, present and future. Fast forward five hours and several bottles of excellent local wine it was time (4am to be precise) to weave and wobble our way up to our room.

Morning arrived as soon as my head hit the pillow, gently woken by the bicycle bell of the local knife sharpener. It was early November yet, peering through the beautifully ornate doors out to the balcony, we could see that it was definitely still shorts and t-shirt weather. Well I say we, it was actually just me – Saff was a little worse for wear after the previous night’s vinho.

A rare pic of our room without Saff curled up in bed! Photograph: Casa Rosada

Luckily Andrew and Rupert had better much better powers of recovery and breakfast was all laid out, including freshly baked lemon and poppy seed muffins – such a shame Saff couldn’t ‘quite’ make it down. To be honest I couldn’t blame her for wanting to stay in our en-suite bedroom, it was beautifully decorated and finished to an incredibly high standard – keeping all the traditional features whilst sympathetically adding contemporary touches. The colour scheme was bang on too, brilliant white with charcoal grey with splashes of okra yellow.

Breakfast consisted of home-made fruit compote and yoghurt, some of the best granola I’ve ever had (we even made room in our case to bring some home), alongside toast and Rupert’s absolutely incredible home-made preserves – his damson and ginger jam was outstanding.

During the summer months breakfast is served out in their absolutely stunning garden, even this late in the season it was bursting with such vibrant colour and intense scents and this wasn’t the garden at its best. Andrew has arranged outside seating into beautiful private areas so even if all three bedrooms are occupied you feel you have the whole garden to yourselves – clever!

Rupert offered to walk me around the village, both to get my bearings and to clear my head. This was the first time I’d seen the outside of the building in daylight let alone any of the sleepy town. Our home for the next four nights Casa Rosada, a traditional Portuguese mansion was painted a deep salmon and is not to be confused with the other Casa Rosada – the seat of the Argentine national government and the location of the famed balcony scene in Evita.

Back to Portugal and the historic town of Castro Marim situated at the most eastern point of the Algarve, just 5 minutes from Spain. From outside of Andrew and Rupert’s house you can even see the bridge that crosses The Guadiana – the river that forms a natural border between the two countries. Ensure you make time to pop over into Spain, either over the bridge or via a small passenger ferry that runs between Vila Real de Santo António and Ayamonte – a little more on this later.

Andrew said that their B&B was in the shadow of a castle, a little poetic license I thought – but no, the castle is literally at the back of the garden. It’s well worth the steep(ish) climb up to visit, if just for the stunning views over the town (and the torture museum). Our hosts pointed out just some of the many fabulous places to eat – we’ve listed our favourites at the end of this post. But it’s not all about food and drink, the area boasts some of the finest stretches of beach front in the Algarve, numerous beautiful towns and, right on the doorstep, a 5,000 acre salt marsh nature reserve.

But what we enjoyed most was spending time with our hosts relaxing in the living room cosying up on the sofa with Poppy their adorable dog. Or sat around the table in their rustic kitchen drinking and putting the world to rights.

By far our best evening was the special tasting menu that Rupert cooked for us. He really is an exceptional cook, using the freshest seasonal ingredients and confident enough to add his own twist to some classic Portuguese (and Spanish) dishes. My highlights were definitely the grilled octopus and the Mojama – an air-dried, salt cured tuna fillet – and of course Andrew’s selection of perfectly paired Portuguese wines.

Our perfect hosts really couldn’t do enough for us, giving us space to unwind yet being on hand to give us advice on must visit beauty spots and unmissable restaurants. They set us an amazing itinerary for the three full days that we were there, below is a very brief description of each of our adventures…

• DAY 1: Finding our bearings
After shaking off my hangover (something Saff couldn’t quite do) Andrew, Rupert and I jumped in the car to visit Cacela Velha. A tiny village with a old fortress (built between 1770 and 1794) with wonderful views over the easternmost lagoon of the Rita Formosa. On the way back we popped into Guarita Terrace at Praia Verde beach for a toasted baguette (easily enough for two to share) and one of their award-winning cocktails. I opted for an Old Fashioned whilst Andrew and Rupert ordered Guarita Terrace’s signature cocktail the Cute Mary – basically a Bloody Mary served in a bottle in a wooden ice filled pale, very cute indeed.

A quick pit stop back at Casa Rosada to freshen up and pick up a still rather jaded Saffron then off to restaurant Chá com Água Salgada, a 20 minute drive away in Vila Nova de Cacela. Chá com Água Salgada (which translates to ‘tea with seawater’), is a contemporary beach side restaurant serving modern Portuguese cuisine. I doubled up on octopus – octopus samosas with an incredible curry mayo then the sautéed octopus for my main course. Saff started with the tempura shrimp with a sweet and sour sauce and then an unforgettable wild boar stew cooked and served in a cataplana (cookware traditionally made of copper and shaped like two clam shells hinged at one end with the ability to be sealed using a clamp on either side).

• DAY 2: Where it all started
Up bright and early for a day trip to Tavira. A historic town just 20 minute drive along the coast (yes everything is 20 minutes away) with kilometres of sandy beaches. The town itself, probably the most beautiful in the Algarve (and the reason why Andrew and Rupert moved to Portugal). A wealth of history (and doors!) to discover and loads of restaurants situated in the narrow cobbled streets situated just behind the riverfront. One such restaurant was La Petite France, a wonderful little place popular with locals, ex-pats and tourists alike. Don’t miss out on their very posh cheese on toast and baked camembert.

After a full day out we decided to stay close to home and eat in Castro Marim at A Tasca Medieval. A proper no frills local’s restaurant cooking up amazing (and incredible value) traditional Portuguese cuisine. Their seafood Cataplana was definitely our favourite dish we ate in Portugal – jam packed with clams, prawns and crayfish all swimming in a delicate fish broth. The restaurant was full and at the table next to ours was a large group of international travel agents who had been scouting the area for this years travel brochures. Looks like Castro Marim may be the next big thing, even more reason to book a few nights at Casa Rosada.

• DAY 3: A tale of two countries
Our last, and by far best, day started off with the aforementioned day trip to Spain. A small walk-on passenger ferry took us over from Vila Real de Santo António to Ayamonte. It’s amazing just how different these two towns were considering they are less than 3km apart. First port of call was Alimentacion Orta Ultramarinos a maze of a shop/restaurant were we had sherry and jamón in a little hidden courtyard somewhere at the back of the premises.

After a little wander around town it was time for lunch (and wine – yes, it was turning into one of those days) at La Puerta Ancha. This restaurant steered away from typical tapas dishes and focused on much more experimental variations – even the presentation was super modern. Traditional? Maybe not. Delicious? Definitely! Top marks to the pork cheek an Italian, Irish and Mexican hybrid and damn delicious, followed closely by tequila slammer style ceviche, squid ink croquettes and a stunning veal carpaccio.

Later that day we were invited over to Flor De Sal Salmarim to meet owner Jorge Raiado. Jorge quite modestly stated that Salmarim’s mission is to make the best Salt Flower ever in Portugal and one of the best in the world. It’s hard not to get caught up in his passion for all things salty. The salt crystals are made during ‘the magical moment when the sea water mixes with the sun’. No industrial scale water boiling here, it’s all done naturally, the salt is even hand skimmed. All this hard pays off as this artisan salt is characterised by a particularly low moisture content, giving even more punch to the salt. It’s true, we’ve been cooking with Flor De Sal recently and we’ve found even a pinch goes a long way. The best was saved to last – our special tasting menu cooked by Rupert and you already know just how good that was!

Kitchen goals

One more night’s restful sleep (I think the G&T nightcap helped) and that was that, time to pack and say our goodbyes. Andrew and Rupert truly are the most attentive hosts that we’ve ever stayed with. We were made to feel so welcome and nothing was too much trouble. Even at the end of a near fully booked season the pair weren’t in the least bit jaded – or they were very good at hiding it. We were the last guests last year, so now it was time for to make a few repairs and then take a well deserved rest before the season starts again in April. We haven’t stayed anywhere quite like this before and can’t recommend this sweet little B&B enough. An incredible location, amazing food and humble, perfect hosts.

I’m going to let Andrew have the last word, I know he’ll appreciate that. ‘If you are looking for that corporate design hotel experience, then we are not for you. Casa Rosada is much more organic, furnished with family pieces, things we have acquired on our travels and pieces from our 11 years in Portugal. The 3 double rooms are all individual, with either en-suite or private bathrooms. There is a tranquil garden, with shady places perfect for a lazy breakfast, or just for relaxing with a good book. This is also our home, and we like to welcome guests as if they were staying with friends. You are welcome to relax in the sitting room, or chat in the kitchen about the wonderful local cuisine. Most of all we want you to feel at home.’

Casa Rosada,
Rua Dr Silvestre Falcao,
Castro Marim, Algarve.

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Reservations: (00351) 281 544215
Email: casarosada1@mac.com

High Season – May to October
Low Season – November to April.
Minimum 2 night stay in July and August

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We stayed at a discounted rate, this does not affect our review in any way.
We always write with complete honesty.