Castelo Santa Catarina

In 1887 a textile industrialist named António Pimenta da Fonseca, styled Comendador, began building himself a house in Porto. He wanted it to demonstrate what he had achieved, so he hired the best craftsmen available and built a castle: a tower, tiled walls, carved and painted doors, and a private chapel dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Conceição.

He lived there for the rest of his life. His daughter was born in the house. His first wife died in it. He remarried and stayed. After his death his second wife and his daughter fell out so badly that they gave away the entire contents of the chapel rather than divide it.

The building is now classified as being of heritage interest and holds 25 rooms across two wings. The castle itself has the character: high ceilings, ornate carved headboards, tiled bathrooms, period furniture, a parlour-like lobby with chandeliers and heavy wallpaper. The modern annex in the garden is plainer and easier, with rooms on the ground floor opening onto the planting.

The gardens are the second reason to come. They are terraced and Mediterranean, with palm trees, shaded paths, a tiled courtyard, wrought-iron furniture and enough of a breeze to make summer bearable. The chapel stands among them. There is a bar named for the Comendador, and free parking, which is rare in Porto.

Set expectations plainly. There is no pool, no spa and no restaurant beyond breakfast, which is a generous buffet. The main building has no lift and the rooms sit on the second, third and fourth floors, so the castle rooms involve stairs. Wi-Fi can be patchy in the older part.

The location is the top of Rua de Santa Catarina, three to five minutes from Marquês metro. The Sé and the Ribeira are around fifteen and twenty-five minutes on foot respectively, mostly downhill going and uphill coming back, and the metro is the sensible answer at the end of a day.