Monte da Bravura is a stunning, boutique B&B gem. Its hosts – the wonderful Fernando and Elizabete – went to great lengths to make our visit perfect... and they succeeded thanks to little, personal, thoughtful touches you'd never get in a big 200-room hotel.

When it rains, umbrellas magically appear, ready for use. At breakfast Elizabete and Fernando treat you like family – asking after your activities and health. They serve scrummy home-made cakes, figs and grapes from their land, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

The B&B's location is perfect. It's a few kilometres from a reservoir (with several lovely walks), and within easy driveable distance of the sea and mountains. And, up in the mountains, on the deserted Picota peak (with stunning 360-degree views) my boyfriend asked me to marry him! And, every day, from Monte da Bravura, we could see Picota. It was perfect.

Monte da Bravura (and Fernando and Elizabete) will always have a place in our hearts.

(This is my first ever TripAdvisor review. Monte da Bravura is so wonderful it warrants sharing. I also feel compelled to add... To any Brits who are concerned about the previous review saying, 'If you're British don't go'... We are British, and we say DO! Fernando and Elizabete are open-minded, kind and considerate – no matter what nationality you are.)

What a wonderful place with wonderful hosts. We spent an ideal week at the end of August in the most peaceful and relaxing setting. Our lovely hosts could not have been more helpful or welcoming and are anything but anti-British! Breakfast is as good as everyone has said. The pools are virtually chlorine free so don't irritate your eyes.Fernando gave us lots of really useful local information and directed us to lots of good places to eat that were very good value and gave a real 'flavor' of Portugal.Would recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing holiday away from the tourist trap but still close to lots of places of interest and fun (the dolphin spotting trip was great).

We spent two weeks at Monte da Bravura from mid August. This place is everything we hoped for – quiet, relaxing and scenic. It is situated near Cotifo within the Monchique region. The nearest town of Odaxiere about 4 miles away. We had one of the studio apartments with the kitchenette, containing all the facilities needed to cook basic meals, such as pasta dishes. This allowed us to enjoy cooking at our leisure and eating on our private terrace. The room / shower room are cleaned daily and are nicely decorated. The king size bed we found to be very comfortable. We found the whole resort to be very well maintained. Around the pools there was more than enough sunbeds to accommodate all guests and despite being at full capacity we often had the luxury of being the only guests around the pool and it seemed in the whole resort at times - it felt like we had our very own exclusive villa! There is also a conservatory area containing books / leaflets and an honesty bar. There is a ‘games room’ with table tennis, table football and a pool table, as well as some interesting old Portuguese artefacts to view.
A highlight for us was enjoying a leisurely breakfast sitting outside in the sunshine overlooking the spectacular views. Fernando would welcome us with freshly squeezed orange juice. The choice at breakfast is very good, including cheeses, hams, cereals, yoghurts, scrambled eggs and bacon. Although personally I would often make a beeline for the Elizabet’s amazing homemade cakes and the array of fresh fruit most mornings!
It is worth noting that a car is needed for this resort. It is reasonably remote and there is no bus route within walking distance. There is a basic mini market in Odaxiere, but we would recommend a larger supermarket shop in Pingo Doce in Lagos (approximately 15 minutes). We can also recommend the restaurant ‘A Laterna’ in Odaxiere. Although on a busy road, it has a welcoming atmosphere and excellent food and good value for money (e.g. fantastic pizzas with any variety of toppings for 6.75 euros, grilled steak 11 euros, pint of beer 2 euros, large glass of wine 2.50 euros). We ended up eating there on 4 occasions.
We fully appreciated the genuine interest both Fernando and Elizabet show in providing a holiday experience that is unique and memorable for the guests. Both always take the time to make recommendations, answer questions and chat to all guests. The setting of Monte da Bravura is unrivalled in its quietness and serenity. Coupled with a genuine warmth from the owners this, for us, was one of our most memorable and special holidays.

Fiona and Rob

- Good location : stunning view from the top of a little mountain, first part of Algarve with natural sites with limited number of tourists, several stunning beaches easy to reach by car
- Good food : excellent breakfast with some organic food grown in the garden
- Excellent hospitality : Fernando and his wife have dedicated their life to welcome their guest and do extra efforts to have good time with them
- Very large & comfortable rooms/suites

The only little downsides are :
- cold swimming pool (but do you really need it if you go the beach ?)
- the bed are not soft enough