Portugal's Best Pet-Friendly Escapes: Where Dogs Are Family
Days after F1 driver Lewis Hamilton lost his beloved dog Roscoe, someone wrote on a London Underground inspiration board: "If people say 'it's just a pet,' they really don't understand." The message went on to explain how pets become family, how they change our hearts forever.
Those words hit home for me. My three-year-old wire-haired Teckel, Chewbacca, has become such an integral part of my life that I increasingly want him with me everywhere – including on holiday. After over a decade working in luxury hospitality at Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, I know what genuine welcome looks like. And I've found two places in Portugal where dogs aren't just tolerated; they're genuinely part of the experience.
Craveiral Farmhouse: Where Chewbacca Met His First Cat
Chewbacca's first weekend away was at Craveiral Farmhouse in the Alentejo. For all of us, it was love at first sight.
I'll never forget watching him encounter a cat for the first time. He stood completely still, utterly bewildered, not quite sure what to do. That moment perfectly captured what I love about Craveiral: it's a place where different species coexist peacefully, where nobody's stressed, where everyone – human and animal alike – just seems content. Pedro Franca Pinto, the owner calls it “the Craveiral effect”. I think I agree.
A True Pet-Friendly Philosophy
The property has its own resident dog, Charlie, who's perpetually on a diet because guests can't resist feeding her under the table. She doesn't mind other dogs, which immediately put me at ease. The owner, Pedro, brings his dog Pica along as he works, and she follows him everywhere around the grounds.
My son discovered he could cycle around the estate with Chewbacca trotting behind him, occasionally breaking into a run to chase cats. Everyone was happy. That's the key difference between a place that allows pets and a place that welcomes them – at Craveiral, the dogs are part of the daily rhythm, not exceptions to be managed.
The hotel accepts up to two dogs or cats per accommodation, charging a reasonable nightly fee per pet. They provide beds, food bowls, and water bowls, and crucially, pets are welcome in public areas including the restaurant. Having worked in hospitality for years, I know how rare it is for properties to genuinely integrate pets into the guest experience rather than segregating them.
Designed for Exploration
What makes Craveiral ideal for dogs is the layout itself. The property consists of clusters of individual cottages connected by wooden walkways that wind through natural terrain filled with wildflowers. Chewbacca loved these paths – enough structure to feel safe, enough wilderness to feel like an adventure.
There are multiple swimming pools, an organic garden where guests can pick vegetables, and farm animals grazing throughout the property. For a city dog like Chewbacca, encountering chickens, goats, and pigs was endlessly fascinating.
The property offers bikes for all ages, which my son used constantly with Chewbacca in pursuit. There are horses to ride, and plenty of open space for children and dogs to simply run. The philosophy seems to be about reconnecting urban families – and their pets – with farm life and nature.
Where the Food Comes From
The central farmhouse contains the main restaurant, anchored by a large log fire. I appreciated that the food philosophy aligned with the overall ethos: most ingredients come from the property's own garden or from nearby local producers. Breakfast featured fresh eggs from the chickens we'd seen wandering the grounds, and the homemade granola became my absolute favourite.
The wood-fired pizza oven produces remarkably thin, crispy pizzas, and sitting outside with a glass of local wine while the sun sets over the pool, smelling those pizzas cooking – with Chewbacca contentedly at my feet – felt like exactly the kind of simple luxury I'd been seeking.
Genuine Sustainability
Having worked in luxury hospitality, I can usually tell when sustainability is genuine versus performative. At Craveiral, it's woven into everything. They've created a system where most food comes from on-site, they compost extensively, they use solar energy, and they've built the accommodations to minimize environmental disruption.
There's even a protected biodiversity area on the property where they've reintroduced rare native plants, with an interpretation centre explaining the local ecosystem. For someone traveling with a dog, this commitment to preserving natural habitat feels particularly meaningful – these are the spaces our pets instinctively connect with.
The Nearby Beaches
The location in Costa Vicentina means access to stunning beaches: Zambujeira do Mar, Carvalhal, Almograve. These aren't crowded tourist beaches; they're the kind of expansive Atlantic coastline where a dog can run freely and you can walk for hours. For Chewbacca, used to Lisbon's urban parks, these beach days were revelatory.
Herdade da Matinha: The Luxury of Silence
This summer I discovered Herdade da Matinha, also in Costa Vicentina, and it offers something completely different: the profound luxury of deep nature and genuine silence.
A Regenerated Forest
The family-owned property extends over 110 hectares of cork oak and umbrella pine forest. What's remarkable is that the owner, Alfredo, planted much of this forest himself starting in the 1990s, regenerating what had been arid land. Walking through it now – with wildflowers everywhere and constant birdsong – you'd never know it hadn't always been this way.
For Chewbacca, this was paradise. Endless forest to explore, countless new scents, complete freedom to roam safely within the property boundaries.
The Resident Dogs
Herdade da Matinha has three resident dogs: Paz (whose name means "peace" in English), Gina, and Dino. I'll be honest – Chewbacca didn't initially get along with Dino, who came into our room and stole some of his food. But the property is so vast and there's so much to explore that they soon forgot their differences and coexisted peacefully.
This is real life with dogs, not some sanitized version. Sometimes there's friction, but in a space this generous and well-managed, it resolves naturally.
A Different Kind of Luxury
Herdade da Matinha doesn't fit conventional luxury definitions. There are no manicured gardens, no gleaming marble surfaces, no elaborate amenities. Instead, it offers something increasingly rare: authenticity.
The accommodations are simple but comfortable – genuinely comfortable beds, no televisions (which I didn't miss at all), and bold abstract paintings throughout created by Alfredo himself. The aesthetic is artistic and personal rather than professionally designed, which gives the place real character.
Most of our time was spent outside anyway – lounging by the pool under almond and cherry trees, walking through the forest, or simply sitting in the profound quiet that's almost impossible to find near cities.
A Multigenerational Vision
What I found moving about Herdade da Matinha is that it's genuinely a family project spanning generations. Alfredo, who comes from a landscape architecture background, created this vision of regenerating degraded land. Now his sons Mateus and Santiago, who grew up here, are continuing the work. You can feel that continuity – this isn't a commercial venture trying to maximize returns; it's a long-term commitment to land stewardship.
For someone traveling with a dog, that philosophy matters. These are people who understand the value of other species, who've created space for wildlife to flourish, who see animals as integral to the ecosystem rather than as problems to be managed.
Why These Places Matter
After years in luxury hospitality, I've stayed at countless beautiful properties. But traveling with Chewbacca has taught me to evaluate places differently.
I'm no longer impressed by properties that merely "allow" pets with restrictions and extra fees that feel punitive. I'm looking for places that genuinely understand that for many of us, our dogs are family members whose presence enriches every experience.
Both Craveiral and Herdade da Matinha get this. They're designed in ways that work naturally for dogs – plenty of outdoor space, interesting terrain to explore, other animals to encounter, and crucially, staff and other guests who smile at canine antics rather than frown.
That Underground board message was right: pets give us friendship that nobody else could; they're our sidekicks and they keep us company. When I travel with Chewbacca, I want to stay in places that recognize and celebrate that bond, not just tolerate it.
What about you? Have you discovered exceptional pet-friendly stays in Portugal or elsewhere? I'd love to hear your recommendations and experiences traveling with your four-legged family members.