Especially for guests of Bed and Breakfast Casa Traca, Arganil
Thank you for choosing to stay at Bed and Breakfast Casa Traca in Arganil. This page is especially for you with tips and things worth knowing before, during and after your stay. Please read it carefully and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. I’ll be happy to answer them.
See you soon in Arganil at B&B Casa Traca.
Registration SEF
From the Portuguese government it is mandatory to report all guests who cannot identify themselves with a Portuguese identification document to the SEF, foreigners’ service.
Fill out the form here:
If you prefer to fill out a form per person, you can download and fill it out below:
I kindly request you to complete the form separately for all members of your travel group. You can mail the completed forms to info@casatraca.com.
Check in
Guests can check in at Bed & Breakfast Casa Traca between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. If you want to check in earlier or later, for example due to flight times, this is possible in consultation. Send an email to info@casatraca.com for this
Route
Directions to Bed and Breakfast Casa Traca
Directions by car click here . Coordinates for navigation system: N 40° 2179552′ W 8° 0243121′ . You drive from Arganil in the direction of Folques, past the Ponta da Valbona sign, turn right and immediately right again. You will see 2x a blue sign “Alojamento Local”. Drive straight on for 500 meters and you will see B&B Casa Traca on your left.
Public transport
You can travel by metro and train to Coimbra-B or by bus to Mouronho. You must buy your train or bus tickets in advance. Bus: Take the metro or taxi to the Porto Campo stop on August 24. From there take the bus to Catraia de Mouronho.
Train: You go by taxi or metro to Porto Campanha. There you get on the direct train to Coimbra-B.
car rental
Are you coming by plane and would you like to rent a car? I like to work with the following company:
Parking
Parking is not possible on the grounds of B&B Casa Traca, in order to create an optimal relaxed atmosphere on the grounds for yourself and other guests. However, your car can be parked directly opposite the B&B on the edge of the forest. You can also easily park on the road at the bottom of the wall. You can stand here anywhere without any problems.
Wi-Fi
To make your stay even more enjoyable, we have free wifi. We ask you to handle this with care.
Channel: Welcome – no password required
Household regulations
General:
- On arrival you will be welcomed by B&B Casa Traca and you must identify yourself on request by means of a valid ID. We also ask you to fill in a form for the Portuguese Aliens Service. You are required to fill this in if you are not a Portuguese resident.
- You will receive a set of house keys from us for access to the house. If you lose it, we will charge € 5.00 for this. We kindly ask you to leave the room key in the house. If you do take it with you and lose it, we will charge € 10.00 for this.
- On the day of arrival, you can check in between 3:00 and 7:00 pm.
- On the day of departure, we expect to have the room available for subsequent rental by 11 a.m. at the latest. A late check-out is possible at an additional cost of € 10.00 and based on availability.
- In case of early departure, no refund will be made unless otherwise agreed.
- Noise pollution, especially between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., should be prevented. Sound carriers and the like must not be a nuisance to others.
- Any visitors of our guests are not allowed to stay overnight in the B&B Casa Traca without the permission of the owner and without additional payment.
- Vehicles must be parked in the parking spaces at the bed & breakfast on the public road.
Food and drink:
- You will find coffee and tea making facilities in the room, which you can use for free and are replenished a maximum of 1x per day.
- In the garage you will find a fridge which is filled with cans/bottles of drinks. You can grab these during your stay, afterwards this will be settled with you on the basis of good faith. You can keep track of your consumptions on the writing pad in the conservatory. Here you will also find the price list.
- Breakfast is prepared for you at the agreed time and served in the conservatory. Breakfast is available between 8.00 and 10.00.
Miscellaneous:
- There is free WIFI. You can log in to “Welcome” without a code.
- Dogs are limited at B&B Casa Traca and allowed under certain conditions. We charge €5.00 per dog per week. The dogs must sleep in a crate or basket in the room and are not allowed to stay in the common area. There is also the possibility that the dog stays in the kennel in the garden. This is free.
- Smoking is not allowed in the house at B&B Casa Traca. There is ample opportunity to smoke outside in the gardens and on the terraces, of course in consultation with the other guests.
- It is not allowed to take things from B&B Casa Traca outside the site. If you want to take towels to the (river) beach or swimming pool, you can rent beach towels from us. The price for this is € 2.50 per bath towel/per time.
- At B&B Casa Traca it is possible to wash your clothes etc:
- Use of washing machine including detergents and hanging, collecting and folding laundry: € 6.00
- Use washing machine including detergents and hang up and pick up yourself: € 4.00
- Use dryer: € 2.50
- It is not allowed to use and/or take outside without permission crockery, cutlery and glassware from the breakfast room/conservatory. Ask us about what is suitable for this. On the covered terrace you will find a closet full of dishes that may be used.
- Fire blanket can be found in the kitchen
- Fire extinguisher can be found in downstairs hallway and upstairs landing.
Holidays are there to relieve you as much as possible! Relax, have an extensive breakfast and don’t worry about transport. Which can! Would you like to book a hot tub package or do you have special wishes for breakfast ? Do you need a baby cot or are you taking your dog with you? Just let me know so I can prepare everything.
The hot tub is wood-fired and is completely cleaned before new use. This requires a longer preparation time. For that reason, the hot tub package must be requested well in advance: at least 6 hours in advance. However, it is possible that this is not possible due to other activities. Therefore, request this as early as possible.
Request your special wishes and extra services:
"(Verplicht)" indicates required fields
Time difference
In Portugal it is an hour earlier than in the Netherlands.
Language
Portuguese is spoken by more than two hundred million people. The language has many similarities with Spanish and French. More and more Portuguese also speak English. Especially in the younger generation and in the cities and tourist areas. Outside of that, you really have to get by in Portuguese or with all your hands and feet.
General opening hours:
Banks: Monday to Friday 08:30 to 15:00
Shops: Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00, on Saturday from 09:00 to 13:00.
Supermarkets: are open from 8.30am to 8.30pm throughout the week.
The shopping centers in larger cities are open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 23:00. They are often also open on Sundays.
Post offices : are open Monday to Friday from 09:30 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 18:00.
Markets:
Thursday: large weekly market in Arganil combined with a gypsy market. The old city market hall/wall is very nice. Here you can drink delicious coffee at the cafes outside. At the end of the market square you can eat chicken. Market hours from 8.00 am – 12.00 pm
Saturday: smaller weekly market in Coja. It is best to park in the large parking lot and then walk up to the market.
Sunday: Small weekly market in Tabua, mainly with plants and poultry. In the large market hall you will find meat, fish, bread, vegetables and fruit, cheese. At about 12:00, after the market, the chicken will start. Chicken is roasted on large barbecues, which is served at long tables with narrow benches with chips and lettuce. You usually drink (white) wine or water with it. The people from miles around come here and it really is a social meeting point.
Restaurants
There are many good and affordable restaurants nearby. Below we mention a few. Feel free to ask us for more. Please inquire in advance about opening times.
- Restaurante Gota D’Agua, Mouronho
- Restaurante Impala, Sarzedo
- Restaurante Grelha de Mistura, Arganil
- Príncipe do Alva, Coja (booking recommended. I can arrange this for you if you wish)
- Passo e Fico bar in Folques near the river beach. Very suitable for a small meal, snack
Important and useful telephone numbers:
- B&B Casa Traca +351 967 479 752
- Taxi Folgues (neighboring village): +351 962 301 211
- Emergency services: ambulance, fire brigade and police – 112
- Medical urgency: 808 242 424
+351 937 362 427
- Centro de Saude, First Aid and General Practitioner: +351 235 200 100
- Dentist Arganil:
Consultorio Medico Dentario Hugo Matos
Rua Fernando Vale
3300-046 Arganil (Sarzedo)
+351 235 203 232 / +351 964 894 461
Dentist Arganil:
Clinica Dentaria Arganil
lg. Padre Manuel da Costa Vasconcelos Delgado, n.º 6, 1º andar,
3300-023 Arganil
+351 235 205 485
In the immediate vicinity of Bed & Breakfast Casa Traca there is much to see and experience. I regularly write a blog about this. View the overview of all places of interest and put together your own program for your stay at Casa Traca. Click on the photos for more information.
River beaches:
There are many river beaches in the immediate vicinity. You can recognize these by the brown signs with ‘ Praia Fluvial ‘ on them.
The beach of Folgues is 500 meters away from Casa Traca . This is a natural swimming pool which is filled with river water. There are bbq’s, a sunbathing area and good clean sanitary facilities.
A little further away you will find Praia Fluvial de Cascalheira, near Secarias. This river beach is about 4 kilometers away. Here you will find a sandy beach which is sprayed every year before the start of the season. There are good sanitary facilities, barbecue facilities, diving boards and there is a kiosk where you can buy drinks, ice cream and small snacks. Here you swim in the river where there is a waterfall through a dam and there are lifeguards for safety.
Recommended day trips
Fraga da Pena and Piodão
A fun and special day trip is to Fraga da Pena , the waterfalls at Benfeita in the Serra do Açor. Here you can walk all the way up to the origin of the falls in the protected nature reserve. Swimming in one of the basins is of course also possible. Keep in mind that the water is very cold.
Then on to Piodão , the slate village which is on the world heritage list. Wander through the streets of this special mountain village where time has stood still. Finally, you drive or walk to Foz d’egua , a praia fluvial which is built in Roman style against the mountainside. The route itself is a 2 hour and 20 minute drive, approximately 81 kilometers. So you have plenty of time to enjoy and pause along the way.
Serra da Estrela
A little further away you will find the Serra da Estrela Natural Park. The Serra da Estrela (literally: Star Mountains) is the largest mountain range, also a natural park, on mainland Portugal. It is the westernmost part of the Central Divide. The highest peak, Mount Torre, measures 1993 m, making it the highest mountain on the Portuguese mainland. A masonry column seven meters high brings the highest point to 2000 m.
The rivers Alva, Mondego and Zerere originate in the Serra da Estrela. The largest place in the chain is Covilhã.
In addition to its natural beauty, the mountainous region is known for its sheep cheese and the Cão da Serra da Estrela dog breed. Near the highest point is also a beautiful reservoir Lagoa Comprida. The route according to the map below will take you back to Casa Traca via Vide, Aldeia das Dez and Coja.
Vide is a picturesque mountain village just like Aldeia das Dez which is located high in the mountains but where you can eat delicious tapas at Plano5. Coja is a nice friendly town with a large square with terraces. This round is approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes and covers 148 kilometers.
Coimbra
If you fancy a day of shopping and soaking up culture, Coimbra is the perfect place. This third city of Portugal is best known for its university with the oldest university library in Europe. The entire university is well worth a visit. The Sé Velha cathedral with the internal cloister is also not to be missed. Or what about one of the Fado cafes?
In the many picturesque streets you will find all kinds of shops and hidden treasures. If you prefer ‘modern’ shopping, you can do this across the street in the Forum, a large multi-storey shopping mall. Coimbra is 60 kilometers from Casa Traca and you can drive there in about 40 minutes.
Kayaking
KayakingIf you would like to spend a day kayaking on the Rio do Mondego or canoeing on the Rio de Ceira , please let us know. We work together with 2 organizations for this and can make an appointment for you with a discount. In general, it is sufficient to make a reservation 24 hours in advance. Prices vary between €20 and €30 per person depending on the tour and type of activity.
Bicycles
At 20 kilometers from Casa Traca you will find the Ecopista do Dão, a beautiful 47 kilometer long cycle route on an old railway line. If you only want to rent bicycles, you can do so for € 10 per day. If you want to use the shuttle service of the organization, the costs including bicycle rental are € 25 per person. We can reserve this for you.
Hiking & aqua hiking
We walk together with a guide who has been doing this for more than 20 years. She walks in the Caramulo Mountains and in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park. Walks are on fixed days, but other days are also possible on request. Walks are usually from 10:00 am gathering where we then go to the starting point. You walk for about 5 hours, there are plenty of breaks and the pace is adjusted according to need.
We are happy to inquire about the possibilities for you and make the reservations. If you want to walk in the standard group, the costs are € 10 per person. For individual walks, these can also be done in the vicinity of Casa Traca, a standard price of € 55 per walk is charged.
SUP/stand-up paddling
For this activity we partner with a nearby accommodation on the Rio do Alva. The owner always accompanies the group and, if desired, they can wear a life jacket.
A tour/lesson of one hour costs € 12.50 per person and a tour of 1 ½ hours including snack and drink costs € 17.50 per person.
canyoning
For the real sports enthusiasts there is the possibility to practice canyoning for a day. Climbing, abseiling, water walking, rock climbing, swimming and braving the elements in the Goís region. Prices range from €25 to €50 per person. Groups must be a minimum of 20 people. We are happy to look at the possibilities together with you and which tour suits you best.
Workshop bread and cheese making with lunch in xisto village
In the middle of the Serra da Lousã, in the village of Aldeia do Xisto de Aigra Nova, you can participate in the artisanal process of making corn and rye bread and goat cheese. Rye and maize are the main grains that have been grown here for centuries. The cheeses are made with goat’s milk from the village’s herds.
The program also includes a visit to the capril da aldeia, a visit to the community square and a visit to the Eco-Museu Tradições do Xisto, where you can see all the traditional activities of the village communities.
Price € 17.50 per person, duration of the activity is 3 hours. The workshop will only take place with a minimum of 8 participants.
Check-out by guests
Check-out is between 8.30 am and 11 am. If you want to leave earlier because, for example, you have to catch your plane, you can receive a breakfast package on request for the journey.
Later check-out is also possible on request and provided the room is not immediately rented out again. You pay € 10.00 for this. Would you like to just check out but stay a little longer at Casa Traca? After checking out you can still use the garden and the common areas inside. Ideal for relaxing before you leave for the airport or your next destination.
Review: help other guests
Of course I hope that your stay was completely to your liking. Share this with other future guests, so that they too can have a wonderful holiday at Casa Traca. If something is not to your liking during your stay, please let me know so that I can fix it. If this is not possible, we can jointly look for a suitable solution.
Here you will find us
Arganil, Central PortugalAddress
Sitio Rossio Valbona
3300-124 Arganil
Portugal
