Casa Azul self-catering apartment

Our self-catering apartment sleeps 2 people. It has one bedroom, a bathroom with shower & bath and an open-plan lounge/kitchen/ diner. It also has it's own outside relaxing & eating area. Guests have use of the biological swimming pond (shared only with the owners) which contains no chemicals and is cleaned by the action of the plants. Please read more about this below under 'other things to note'. The peaceful location and forest backdrop make it a tranquil and delightful place to stay. The apartment is on the ground floor of the building and has its own access and leads directly to the beautiful swimming pond area. The comfortable bedroom has a king size bed, bedside tables with lights, wardrobe, chest of drawers, mirror, hairdryer and a fan. All bed linen and towels are supplied, including pool towels. The well-equipped kitchen area has an oven and 4 ring hob with extractor, microwave, kettle, toaster, Dulce Gusto coffee machine, fridge and sink. It is also has crockery, cutlery, pans and plenty of other necessary cooking equipment. There is a sofa, armchair, smart TV (with MEO Portuguese TV), a large selection of DVDs and table and chairs for eating. Outside there is a relaxation area with sofas, an eating area and BBQ for sole use of guests. The self-contained apartment is on the ground floor of the building and is accessed by its own separate entrance. The owners reside on the first floor but there is only one rental apartment so no other guests stay at the property at the same time. The pool and gardens are for use by the guests, however the owners will occasionally be seen. The owners do not use the pool when guests are using it and will give guests as much privacy as possible. Our accommodation is separate and on the floor above the apartment so we are on-site and available to help you. We have been in this part of Portugal for a few years and know many of the best places to visit. We can recommend restaurants serving delicious local food and wine, historical sites to visit and some of the most beautiful and unspoilt local areas. We are only a five minute drive, or a 15 minute walk, from the centre of Avelar, which although not a large town, has three well stocked supermarkets, a greengrocer, a wonderful 'cake shop' or pastaleria, hairdresser, beautician, hospital, dentist and other small shops and businesses. Despite our closeness to the town, we are situated within a small community of just a few houses, in a quiet, no-through lane overlooking forest. Larger supermarkets can be found in Ansiao, Pombal and Coimbra. Within a short drive of Casa Azul are several excellent, traditional Portuguese restaurants which we can recommend. The cities of Lisbon and Porto are a train ride away or about 1.5hrs drive each. Coimbra, situated on the River Mondego is Portugal's oldest and third city and is only half an hour away. It has many attractions, shops, restaurants, bars etc. The pretty town of Tomar is half an hour to the south and is home to the UNESCO world heritage Knights' Templar Convento de Cristo. Close by are several natural river beaches which are suitable for swimming and many have cafes and toilet facilities. Horse riding, hiking, kayaking, river trips and spa days are all available locally and can be arranged. You will need a car to visit this part of Portugal. Our house is almost equidistant between Lisbon and Porto airports which are about 1.5hrs away. We are situated very close to the junction of the main IC3 north-south road and IC8 east-west road. We are only a few minutes away from the new A13 motorway which links to the main A1 motorway and means you can drive to within a mile of Avelar using all motorway. Our swimming pond is completely natural and is like swimming in a river or lake but with no muddy bottom! The water is cleaned by the action of the plants so it contains no chemicals whatsoever. As the water is so clean it attracts frogs, newts and dragonflies who lay their lavae amongst the plants. This wildlife stays mainly hidden in the planted area but occasionally they do fancy a swim in the swimming area and may pop up in there! They are completely harmless and in fact show how successfully the ecosystem is working. There are no fish in the pond. The frogs can be quite vocal in May and June! There is a swimming pool on the land next door that is used occasionally and there can be some noise from this. There is no fibre optic wifi at the property so the internet can be slow but is usually absolutely fine for internet browsing and e-mails.