Fodor's Expert Review Cooking and Nature Emotional Hotel

"Get connected with nature" is the slogan of this innovative hotel, set amid olive groves in the Parque Natural Serras de Aire de Candeeiros. Its recipe of hiking, biking, and do-it-yourself gourmet cuisine has won prizes and international attention. There's a small spa (open mid-October through mid-April) and a pool out back, where hammocks and a nightly bonfire add to the laid-back mood. The restaurant serves light lunches, while for dinner there's a choice of shared plates made from seasonal ingredients—or you can sign up for a cooking workshop overseen by a chef. A stylish sister hotel 200 yards away, The Nest, has another 8 rooms and 2 apartments at slightly lower rates, but no restaurant.