Pousadas

Once there was a man who had a dream to preserve the heritage of his country.  His name was Antonio Ferro. He was a Minister in the Portuguese Government.  Portugal is landmarked by beautiful buildings of historic value and of cultural interest.  It would be a shame not to share these spectacular pieces of history with the rest of the world, as the Government may not always be in a position to maintain these heritage sites.

Antonio Ferro’s dream was realised in 1940 when he initiated a project that would forever change the way in which the whole world can relive history on a daily base. In the process, preserve the history of the country.

Mr Ferro started a group of inns, giving it the Portuguese name: Pousada. Pousada is the Portuguese word meaning Inn.   He converted castles, palaces, fortresses, monasteries, convents and museums into hotels that would ultimately preserve the history of the building.

The first Pousada opened in 1941 and is still operational to this day.  For more than 60 years the Government owned the hotels, but privatised it in 2003 due to financial and management reasons.

In 1995, the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and the Smithsonian Foundation awarded the Pousadas with the annual prize for an Institution that plays an active part in protecting cultural heritage sites for tourism purposes.

Categorisation

There are four categories of Pousadas and totals 44 Pousadas.  The first category is the Historic Pousadas.  National monuments that are well preserved such as convents, castles and fortresses are used for the Pousadas. The buildings are still in their original state and design.

The second group is also historic buildings such as castles, palaces and monasteries, but they are not in their original state anymore.  These buildings were renovated at some stage to make it more contemporary with modern designs and facilities.

Pousadas located in a romantic and unique atmosphere makes out the third group of Pousadas: The Charm Pousadas.

Lastly, there is the Nature Pousadas. These buildings are located in natural surroundings, such as the countryside.

Locations

Pousadas are situated all over Portugal.  The regions where you can locate them are Alentejo, the Algarve, Azores, the Central Portuguese region, Lisbon and the Northern regions of Portugal.  Although Pousadas are currently only found in Portugal, a long-term plan exists to open Pousadas in all locations that were formerly under Portuguese rule.

Events and Cuisine

Knowing that the Pousadas are actual castles, fortresses and palaces from a bygone era, imagine having your dream wedding and be the prince and princess of your own castle.

Pousadas are the perfect place to create that dream.  Rooms are available for your wedding night and honeymoon.  Pousadas are open for bookings to host weddings, conferences, team building and many other events.

You can even make it private for the exclusive use for you and your guest for the duration of your stay. Each Pousada has its own restaurant with world renowned chefs and offers cuisine specific to each region.  The restaurants are open daily and available to the whole public, not only patrons in the Pousada.

The Portuguese Pousadas are dream venues for any occasion and a wonderful way to experience history. Here everyone is a gust and each person is special.