Reviews Boutique Guesthouse-Moncarapacho Oost Algarve, in Portugal
Beautiful surroundings with a stunning view. Nice pool and beautiful gardens with lovely plants. Nicely and beautifully furnished cottage Casa Pauline. We stayed there from June 10th to 18th, 2026
Greetings Marij and Frank
We had a wonderful vacation at Guesthouse Moncarapacho in East Algarve, Portugal.
The studio where we stayed was beautifully furnished and equipped with all amenities. The pool was delightful, and we enjoyed the surroundings. The coast and the islands off the coast are fun to explore, as are the cities and towns in East Algarve.
The weather was very pleasant at the end of September, between 25 and 30 degrees. In short, we had a great time! Maarten and Celine are incredibly hospitable, everything was tip-top in order.
I hope all is well with you.
Warm regards, Saskia and Frank
Dear Maarten and Celine,
All is well with us. After returning home, we're back to work, and before you know it, you're fully immersed in the daily routine again.
We had a wonderful stay at Guesthouse Moncarapacho. The village is beautifully located centrally, and the guesthouse itself is spacious, making it a great base for exploring the area. The apartment is comfortable and fully furnished.
There's plenty to do in the surroundings. We really enjoyed the beaches in the Ria Formosa – such as Santa Luzia and Cacela Velha. The Seven Hanging Valleys Trail is also a beautiful walk, and the viewpoint at Cerro da Cabeça is definitely worth a visit. The olive oil tour at Monte Rosa was a surprisingly fun activity.
There's a wide choice of restaurants: from luxurious dinners at Bosso in Tavira to simple yet delicious piri-piri chicken at Frango da Ria near Olhão. The welcome at the guesthouse was exceptionally friendly and hospitable, and the welcome package in the apartment was a nice surprise that made us feel immediately at home.
All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our time at Guesthouse Moncarapacho – a beautiful place with a warm atmosphere and plenty of opportunities in the area. Highly recommended.
Dear Maarten and Celina
"We had an amazing stay at your guesthouse. The welcome was excellent, and you are such warm and friendly hosts. We enjoyed our pleasant conversations. The accommodation was spotless, almost new, and everything worked as it should. The only thing that might be missing were some hooks for towels.
The personal touch you prepared for our little boy was very thoughtful, and he was thrilled. Moreover, the breakfast was, of course, delicious and incredibly extensive!
The surroundings are beautiful. The beaches are easily and quickly accessible, and the ferry to the nearby islands is also very accessible and highly recommended.
The pool was great, nice and large, and the saltwater made it much more enjoyable than a chlorinated pool. The garden was still under construction in this new phase but will surely be beautiful! We would definitely recommend this accommodation."
Warm regards, Lai Jin and Max
Hi Celina and Maarten,
We would like to leave a review. We had a fantastic time at Guesthouse-Moncarapacho. The location is perfect; you can easily visit lovely coastal towns like Tavira, Fuseta, or Olhão. You can also venture more inland, hike in the Fonte Férrea park, and visiting the Ria Formosa is highly recommended.
The cottage itself and the service are excellent. Spacious, cozy, clean, and a beautiful terrace with a sea view; we could get used to it!
We were surprised with some tapas on the first evening, and the breakfast the first morning was truly luxurious! Celina and Maarten had great tips about the area and were very friendly. Thank you very much for the lovely time!
Greetings, Lienke & Wouter
P.S. The rice table was also fantastic (thanks again for all the cooking, Maarten)
We enjoyed our stay at your beautiful boutique hotel. The decor is really lovely, and everything has been thought of. With the distant view, nice villages, and pleasant beaches, it's an excellent vacation spot!
A peaceful place in nature with nice villages and the ocean nearby. A beautiful cottage with all amenities and plenty of privacy. And a friendly host close by if anything should happen. A pool and garden where you can relax with a view of the ocean!
Dear Maarten and Celina,
As already confirmed verbally, we particularly enjoyed the comfortable stay and exceptional hospitality. Both at check-in and check-out, the wine and other gifts were very much appreciated. And respect for your special personal project and adventure in building this accommodation.
And, like in the well-known B&B TV show, there are some tips. Absolutely. The absence of barking dogs was a positive point worth mentioning. No barking dogs, which we often hear in Portugal.
We will consider our options for next year over the coming weeks and will ask you about availability then.
Best regards, Peter and Liedeweijde
Maarten and Celina bought a beautiful piece of land in Moncarapacho, where they built a lovely white house with three rentable cottages. In June 2025, we were invited to stay in the new studio Casa Florine as test guests.
The finishing touches were still being made, but everything will surely be ready soon.
We explored East Algarve well, from Faro to Tavira. In the area, we enjoyed beautiful walks among fruit and olive trees and climbed over rocks.
The Ria Formosa nature reserve, which is about 60 km long along the coast, is stunning. When you walk through this area from Fuseta, the nearby lovely coastal village located 6 km away, you'll see thousands of little crabs.
Fuseta has a nice beach. You can enjoy delicious fish on the promenade, and the town center has charming restaurants with terraces. We had two wonderful vegetarian meals at Green Spirit and one tasty tapas meal at do Nik.
We rented bikes in Moncarapacho from a friendly, cozy man who already knew Celina.
One day we cycled to Tavira along the EVO 1 bike route, mainly through the Ria Formosa. We immediately encountered beautiful flamingos and birds at the beginning of our journey. Tavira is a charming town with shops, restaurants, and a castle with a beautiful garden that you can freely explore.
The second time, we cycled to Faro through the Ria Formosa along the bike route, but it eventually ends, so you need to find an alternative route.
What I found particularly special is that there are islands off the coast, part of the Ria Formosa, which you can reach by ferry at low cost or take a boat tour.
We took the ferry from Olhão to Ohla da Culatra. We walked through the lovely fishing village with restaurants to the beach, passing through beautiful nature. We then walked along the beach to Ohla do Farol, which took about 45 minutes. We had something to eat at Farol and stayed on the beach for a few hours before returning by ferry to Olhão.
Olhão is also a charming town with narrow Portuguese streets and a large covered fish, vegetable, and fruit market on the boulevard.
We also took the ferry from Fuseta to Ohla da Fuseta and walked along the beach to Ohla da Armona, a long village where we had lunch and relaxed on the beach before walking back. This was about 16 km in total.
You can walk to the Praia do Barril beach, which is about 9 km from the guesthouse, or take a train to the Atlantic Ocean beach. Afterward, we ate squid in Santa Luzia.
The islands Ohla da Tavirs and Ohla de Faro, which you also need to reach by ferry, are reportedly beautiful as well.
On Saturdays, Loulé has a large indoor and outdoor fish, vegetable, and fruit market. It's a lovely town inland.
We drove back through small Portuguese villages and ate at a restaurant where mainly locals dine. Moncarapacho has nice restaurants and squares.
We took a tour of the Quinta da Tor winery, where we also enjoyed a wonderful wine tasting with delicious snacks and a beautiful pool.
Since Celina and Maarten's pool was not quite finished in June 2025, and it was very hot, we visited a restaurant with a pool three times in Fuseta, Ria Panoramiqua, which was very tasty and had a stunning view of the Ria Formosa and the Atlantic Ocean.
From the terrace of the Casa Florine studio, you can also see the Atlantic Ocean, which is extraordinary. The studio has a cozy atmosphere, and the essentials were provided for us, including a bottle of wine 🥂. Our bed was regularly changed 😀.
It's handy to have a car; hopefully, we'll return once the pool and garden are completely finished.
Love, Remco & Gertrude
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