During the school holidays, Vinha Da Manta is the perfect environment for children of all ages to make new friends and let their imaginations run wild, building dens, interacting with nature and enjoying the freedom to run around in a safe and special environment. In the evening they can eat with their newfound friends, as we make kids dinners which are served at their own table with healthy food specially designed for their taste. Then, while adults afterwards can have the whole evening for more gourmet-style dining, they can play hide and seek or run around and have fun. Freedom to roam. No cars. No rules.
At night they will be so comfortable, tucked up with duvets and pillows in our full size camp beds with thick mattresses, or proper cots for babies.
Our natural swimming pool has been carefully designed for everyone to enjoy. At 20 metres long, serious swimmers can really get going. The pebble beach and its surrounding rocks and plants is a wonderful, natural environment for kids to explore. Dive off the special diving platform (3 m deep), hear the frog’s chorus, or play a board game under a tree on the day bed whilst listening to the water. Your kids won’t want to get out! Not that it matters, because with absolutely no chemicals, you can rest assured that the water won’t harm their skin.
Plentiful toys, games, and a tree swing. Hide in the woods, chase frogs, hunt for glow worms or do a guided kids ride on the horses. Vinha Da Manta is a safe place for them to run wild, make friends, and be themselves. Our resident pets love a cuddle, including our retriever Toffee, our various cats, and our four horses. July and August also has weekly kids-yoga activities.
The Mondego River has many wonderful swimming spots, with beaches, rocks for exploring, and shaded areas for unwinding. The opportunities for spotting wildlife with your kids such as kingfishers, otters, water voles, and herons are endless. Or why not spend a memorable day canoeing down the Mondego, finishing up at a lovely beach spot for a picnic and a swim? A highlight of most people’s holiday, we can arrange a tailor-made canoe trip suitable for your family’s abilities.
If culture is your family’s thing, there are numerous ancient hilltop villages and towns. The region has 15 fortified villages in the surroundings, each with their own ramparts and spectacular ancient castles as well as a variety of prehistoric rock carvings, with the world famous archeological museum of Vila Nova de Foz Coa just a half hour’s drive away.