Our lovely self-catering apartment sleeps 2 people. 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, full size under-counter fridge with ice box and sink. (If guests want to store a larger amount of frozen food, hosts are happy to arrange this in a separate freezer.) It is also has crockery, cutlery, pans and plenty of other necessary cooking equipment for you to prepare your own meals. There is a sofa, armchair, smart TV (with MEO Portuguese TV) and DVD player with a large selection of DVD's and table and chairs for dining. Outside there is a relaxation area with shady sofas, an eating area and BBQ for sole use of guests. There are also comfortable wooden sun loungers by the pool. Guests have use of the biological swimming pond which contains no chemicals and is cleaned by the action of the plants. The apartment has its own access and leads directly to the beautiful swimming pond area. The peaceful location and forest backdrop make it a tranquil and delightful place to stay.

We are Fiona and Steve Clarke and we are your hosts. We have lived here for several years having spent many holidays in the area prior to renovating and moving into Casa Azul. We have travelled widely ourselves and stayed in a huge variety of places, so we know what it takes to make your stay with us just that extra bit special. Our own accommodation is on the floor above the apartment so we are on-site and available to help you if needed. We can recommend restaurants serving delicious local food and wine, cafés and pastelarias tempting you to try sweet Portuguese delights, places of interest, historical sites documenting Portugal’s colourful and vibrant past 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 a new medium sized Auchan supermarket and three smaller, 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 (Pingo Doce), 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. 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.