Santar, Portugal: Authentic Village Charm

Wine, history, and aristocratic gardens—just an hour from Coimbra.

Village alley in Santar, Portugal. Photo by Paul Wilcox.

Dear Readers,

Tucked away in central Portugal, the Beirão Plateau is a landscape of soft hills and ancient mountains. Here lies Santar, a tiny village with a noble soul—just an hour northeast of Coimbra and about three hours north of Lisbon, packed with charm, history, and amazing scenery.

A couple of years ago, Paul and I sort of stumbled upon this village while visiting Viseu, when we were looking for a place to do some wine tasting (note – for most wine tastings in Portugal, you must make an appointment – we didn’t have one, so, no vinho for us that day). Nevertheless, we both agreed that we wanted to return to Santar in the future for a few days to explore the area, do some wine tastings and tours (with reservations this time), and to experience some authentic Portuguese village charm.

Despite its small size—just 13 square kilometers and about a thousand locals—Santar feels like a living museum. Manor houses from the 1600s line many streets, and the Dão River winds gently nearby, giving its name to one of Portugal’s finest wine regions.

Immersed in history and nobility.

Santar's history is deeply intertwined with the noble Cunha family, who were granted titles by the Spanish crown during the Iberian Union. Their allegiance to Spain led to the confiscation of their properties, including a grand palace built in 1609, of which only remnants remain today. The village was elevated to "vila" status in 1928 and later merged with Moreira in 2013 to form the parish of Santar e Moreira.

The village's buildings are predominantly constructed from local granite, reflecting traditional Portuguese architecture. Religious sites include the Igreja da Misericórdia, notable for its main and south façades, and a Baroque fountain and crucifix at the village entrance.

Igreja da Misericórdia (Church of Mercy). Photos by Paul Wilcox.

Santar holds a secret.

Tucked behind its ancient walls, Santar holds a secret: a mosaic of gardens woven together by boxwood hedges, lush green terraces, delicate rose bushes, and beautifully tended flowers and trees. These gardens, cultivated for generations, were once well-kept family nobility treasures, but over time, many had been neglected. However, in 2013, Santar’s noble families, along with the Ibérico Nogueira and Portugal Loureiro families (two of my ancestral surnames), and the Santar Misericórdia, launched a bold vision to restore and connect them. That vision became the Santar Vila Jardim project.

To restore the gardens, they enlisted Spanish landscape architect Fernando Caruncho. Known for his elegant use of geometry, light, and water, his influences stretch from Cordoba to Paris and Florence—but in Santar, he found something different.

Here, the grand manor houses weren’t hidden away in the countryside but nestled close together in the heart of the village. Caruncho saw this as a gift. Rather than isolate each garden, he linked them—using small bridges, gates, and green pathways—to create a flowing, living landscape that winds through the village. Although not part of the original gardens, a vineyard was added as well as a community garden where the locals can grow food or other plants.

One of the gardens. Photos by Paul Wilcox.

A 5-Star hotel smacked right in the middle.

One of the jewels of the village is the old Fidalgas Manor, now home to the Valverde Santar Hotel & Spa. This manor used to belong to Miguel de Bragança, Duke of Viseu and brother to Duarte Pio, who’s currently the heir to the (defunct) Portuguese crown. There are only 21 rooms and suites with many of the original details intact, so it feels like your own private palace.

The property includes four hectares (acres) of vineyards and three hectares of gardens. There’s a maze of boxwoods near the pool, a wellness center with custom programs, and other activities such as cooking classes, guided garden walks, spa, horse riding, cycling, croquet, and picnics in the vineyard.

Memórias Restaurant is part of the hotel property but situated in a separate building facing the vineyard and run by Executive Chef Luís Almeida. It is open to hotel guests and the public. Two years ago, when we first visited Santar, we had lunch at this restaurant and were impressed. So, this time around, we made dinner reservations. The food, presentation, atmosphere and service were a 5-Star experience!

Memorias Restaurant. Part of the Valverde Hotel & Spa. Photos by Paul Wilcox.

We didn’t stay at the Valverde.

Although the hotel is magnificent (with a nightly price tag to match), Paul and I wanted more of an authentic village experience, so we booked three nights at the charming Luis de Camões House right at the one of the entrances to the historic village. From our little apartment, we could easily walk the village.

But we did tour some of the gardens.

Garden tour. Photos by Paul Wilcox.

We visited Santar in mid-April thinking that we would be well into Spring weather. However, it was cold (I wished I had worn gloves) and rainy. That didn’t stop us, although the garden tour and wine tasting we had reserved had to be curtailed a bit as no one wanted to trudge in the cold drizzle for two hours on muddy garden pathways.

And we did some wine tastings.

Wine tastings and tours. Photos by Paul Wilcox.

We met Claudinha.

During one of our wine tastings and tours, our guide Rita stopped along a village street to say hello to Claudinha. Paul and I were introduced to her. Claudinha is 92 years old and is the oldest resident in Santar. She is a well-dressed and stylish woman who used to be the dressmaker for Santar nobility. She said that Santar used to be so nice, with just the local people. She recalled a flower vendor who by bicycle would peddle his flowers to the villagers. But, she said, the village has changed because there are too many new people in the village, too many new places, too many people visiting. I couldn’t argue with that – I was visiting there after all…

This village is going to become very popular.

Paul has an uncanny knack for knowing when an area is going to become popular. For example, years ago, while living in Arizona, we stumbled upon the town of Cottonwood. It was a sleepy place with abandoned buildings and a couple of run-down antiques stores. Paul said that Cottonwood was going to become a popular spot. I was skeptical. He was right.

So, when he remarked after our three-night visit that Santar was going to become a popular spot, I believed him. After all, what little village in the middle of Portugal can boast a 5-star boutique hotel, spa and restaurant? Plus, there are a lot of buildings in various stages of renovation and restoration. We were told that the village buildings cannot be changed on the outside but can be changed on the inside. We were also told that buildings in ruined condition in the village start at 500,000 euros (yes, a half a million dollars).

I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. It’s probably good for the local economy and if you’re a service business, there’s an opportunity to employ local residents (currently, most of the younger residents find jobs in nearby, larger towns and cities). But with that progress often comes other not-so-good things. I guess only time will tell.

Village streets. Claudinha, Santar's oldest resident. Photos by Paul Wilcox.

Still, Paul and I really like this village! It’s walkable and laid back. It’s a perfect place to unwind and appreciate the history and the architecture (and the food and wine!). We’ll be back for a return visit.

---

If you visit:

Santar is accessible via:

• By Car: Approximately 1.5 hours from Porto, 1 hour from Coimbra, and 3 hours from Lisbon.

• By Train: Regular services to Nelas from major cities, followed by a short taxi or Uber ride to Santar.

• By Air: The nearest airports are in Porto and Lisbon, with car rentals available for the onward journey.

Places to stay in Santar:

• Luis de Camões House – a one bed, one bath apartment, suitable for one or two people.

• Valverde Santar Hotel & Spa – a Relais & Chateau property with 21 rooms and suites.

• The Penetra’s Little Corner – a two bed, two bath cottage suitable for four people.

• Casa Prosa Santar and Casa Poesia Santar – one restored building with two separate accommodations. Owned and operated by Santar Vila Jardim.

River Beaches and Thermal Spas:

There are river beaches and thermal spas within 15 kilometers of Santar.

Car Parking:

Limited parking within the village, but there is some street parking and there’s a public parking lot next to Memórias Restaurant (all free). Some of the wineries and tasting rooms have parking.

Area restaurants:

• Memórias Restaurant (Santar) – Lunch and dinner. Reservations suggested.

• Paço dos Cunhas (Santar) – Vineyard restaurant serving lunch during the week and dinner on the weekends. Reservations required.

• Taberna da Adega (Nelas) – A short 10-minute drive from Santar, this is a winery restaurant serving lunch and dinner. Reservations suggested.

• Restaurante Ze Pataco (Canas de Senhorim) – A short 15-minute drive from Santar serving lunch and dinner. Also offers takeaway. Reservations suggested.

• Restaurante Bem-Haja (Nelas) – A short 10-minute drive from Santar serving lunch and dinner. Reservations suggested.

Wineries and Wine Shops:

Dão Wine Region - Santar lies within the Dão DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada), one of Portugal's oldest wine regions. The area's granite soil and temperate climate produce elegant red wines, primarily from the Touriga Nacional grape, and crisp whites from Encruzado.

• Paço dos Cunhas - Visits and Wine Tastings. Reservations required. Contact the winery or reserve on Wine XP.

• Fidalgas de Santar – Wine shop offering products from the Dão region.

• Quinta do Sobral Santar – Visits and Wine Tastings. Reservations required. (One of our favorite Santar wineries!)

• Santar Vila Jardim – Garden and private residence tours and wine tastings. Reservations required. Contact the winery to reserve.

  ---

Thanks for being on this journey with me!

Thank you for reading Our Portugal Journey. My newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to help keep this publication independent.

You can also buy me a coffee or a glass of wine, anytime right here.

---

Until next time…

Obrigada!

Carol.

---

Other places in Portugal to explore: