Casa da Cisterna

Recently returned from a birding trip with friends to Portugal, and one of the places we had the good fortune to stay was at Casa da Cisterna in the Castelo Rodrigo historic village. Ana and her team made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. Our room was beautiful and comfortable, and it had lovely bird touches in the decor. In fact, a love of birds is obvious throughout the decor at Cisterna. The two dinners we ate there were delicious and highlighted local foods and recipes from olive oil and quince to chestnut pudding and almond tart. Ana paired the food with local wines, about which she is very knowledgeable. Ana is also a biologist and took us on a fascinating nighttime trip to see the 15,000 to 30,000-year-old Paleolithic rock art at Foz Côa Valley. If you get to Portugal, put this area and Casa Cisterna on your must visit list!

Casa da Cisterna housed our group for 2 nights at the beginning of our Historic Villages and Douro Valley cycling trip. Talk about setting the bar high! This amazing historical property is in the center of the stunning fortified village of Castelo Rodrigo. Perched on a hill with a breathtaking view as far as the eye can see it unites past and present in the most magical way. The entire property which includes a terrace and lovely pool, combined with the historical setting is beyond beautiful. You do feel like you're stepping back in time and yet it's so tastefully balanced with all the modern conveniences. Aside from this incredible setting I must say a highlight would be the atmosphere created by the kind and warm hospitality of Ana and her staff. We felt beyond comfortable and so welcome within these walls. We enjoyed 2 superb home cooked dinners and two breakfasts at Casa da Cisterna. The pride and attention to detail was obvious in everything, from presentation to flavor. Ana offered amazing suggestions for our wine selections and could not have been more helpful in all regards. She has an adorable sparkle of spice and mischief and such a great sense of humor! Our group made amazing memories in beautiful Casa da Cisterna that will last a lifetime. So so much joy and laughter in the comforts of this hidden gem. I highly recommend and hope to one day visit again.

We loved the town of Castelo Rodrigo, but were somewhat disappointed with our stay at Casa da Cisterna. First of all, the website does not tell you which rooms are in the main house and which are down hill a ways (down a long staircase, across a road, through a garden gate and down more stairs). All the suites and some of the rooms are in what they call Cisterna II. It would have been nice to know the layout ahead of time as we would have chosen one of the rooms in the main house with a balcony and view, instead of the small room with no view down the hill. Also it wasn't until our last day that we were told we could access the main house through the garden gate and pool area. We had been going to the main door and ringing the bell hoping someone was there to let us in (our key did not allow us access through the main house door). I would suggest that all this information be added to the website so everyone knows where their room is located and how to get around the complex. Two, we were at a disadvantage with the hosts being gone and the staff having limited time to provide lots of details about the area and Casa de Cisterna. We want to thank Fernanda for being so very kind and serving us wonderful food while staying there (breakfast and dinner)!

Casa da Cisterna was a great place to stay for us, mainly because of the special and warm hospitality of Ana and her team. I had mentioned that we are vegan and prefer glutenfree. A real challenge for most places, but Ana's team has done an outstanding and very successful effort to provide us with delicious vegan dinners and breakfast. Moreover, the Casa da Cisterna is nicely located, close to the Faia Brava Rewilding area andmany historic sites.

Long ride out of Tordesillas, first part boring but second half fantastic roads. The Casa is right in the middle of the Castillo. I parked my motorbike right outside, looking at the bells. Moto friendly. Balcony, small cool pool. As others have said some of the rooms are down some steps and accessed via a fob. Really excellent Vegetarian meal provided with local wine. Nice, big room, slept well. Pretty extensive breakfast the next day. Good English spoken.

I didn't sleep at Casa da Cisterna but I spent a day with friends who where accomodated there and honestly I was so jealous! I would have loved to stay in this lovely and beautiful house. Everything just perfect.