Hotel Casa da Ermida de Santa Catarina (Elvas, Portugal)

The house is on a strip of land that just out into the waters of the Caia dam lake. It is a sober building on two levels. Downstairs, there is a large west facing living room with a fireplace that opens onto a porch with a panoramic view of the lake, a breakfast room and six bedrooms. Upstairs you will find the suite with its own private porch. Visitors will enjoy the welcoming and secluded atmosphere of this retreat on the shores of a motor-free lake, surrounded by wonderful landscape which is part of the Natura 2000 network. The rich local water, land and air faunas can be observed from the porches or from the swing beds on the edge of the water. Take a picnic basket on a walk through the grounds or a ride on the lake on the two-seat kayaks. Fishing and windsurfing are other possibilities. Watch the sunsets from the porches in summer or by the the warm fire in winter, while you enjoy a platter of local appetisers and an Alentejo wine served in an efficient yet simple, traditional portuguese way. Close to the house, the sixteenth century chapel of Saint Catherine has been restored for worship and for the general public.