• Quinta de Gatão

Peacefulness at Oporto’s Door

Quinta de Gatão is a family-owned farm, dating back several generations, comprised of a Mannor House and four Cottages. A stone patio surrounds the houses in the fronf and back yard with a winding foothpath joining up with lush green lawns were a 18th century Chapel and swimming pool can be found.

Location

Quinta de Gatão is located near Penafiel, between the Douro River and the Tâmega River in an area which is well known for the production of Vinho Verde ( a young wine). The location of the farm is in the center of a triangle where three World Heritage sites can be visited: the city of Porto ( from which Port wine gets its name), Guimarães (the birthplace of the Lusitaniens), and the Douro Valley (famous for its breathtaking landscapes and for the first region to be officially registered in the world as a wine producer).

Activities

Upon arrival to Quinta de Gatão, you will see an arena for horse-riding. Further along, you will come to a tennis court for the tennis enthusiasts and beyond that in a discrete spot is a swimming pool for those who enjoy taking a dip or simply laying out in sun. Continuing on down the hill, you will come to two fields: one for playing football and the other one for paintball. In addition, more extreme activities can be enjoyed such as riding a 300-meter zip-line or going climbing. We also organize walking and bicycling tours or jeep, horse and tractor rides (in groups).

Inside the mannor-house, you can play cards, or chess, or simply watch TV in the bar area. Adjacent to the bar, you can play snooker or table-tennis.

Not far from Quinta de Gatão, you can take a boat ride along the river, play golf in Amarante or go karting in Baltar. For children, there is Magikland (an amusement park) or Aquaparque ( a water park) in Amarante.

History

The Valley of Sousa( O vale do Sousa), where Quinta de Gatão is situated, was intensely populated and settled many years before the colonization of the Romans. Nowadays, one can see evidence of some of those settlements in the ruins of Castro do Monte Mozinho, located high up on a hill. The Suebi, Celts, Visigoths and Moors all passed through this region, leaving behind many human, economical and social developments. Numerous monasteries and Roman churches are still present and can be viewed along the Roman Route.

Quinta de Gatão has its own history. Initially it is believed that was a farm belonging to the Hospitalar Order, then later to the Malta Order. Its headquarters were located in Leça do Balio Monastery, near Oporto. The Mannor-House Chapel was built many years later after the rest of the structures in the 18th century when the first private owner bought the more than100ha of the farm. Nowadays, the farm, with 20 ha is a family-owned operation passed down for more than five generations.