Casas da Lapa, Nature & Spa Hotel

On the western slope of the Serra da Estrela — the Mountain of Stars — is the village of Lapa dos Dinheiros, which is the setting for Casas da Lapa, Nature & Spa Hotel, a 15-room escape with a view unlike anything you’re used to seeing in this low-lying country. It’s a labor of love for its owners, who expanded the original 19th-century house with the addition of a nearby shepherd’s cottage and outfitted all the rooms, new and old, with modern furniture, oversized windows, and all the comforts you expect from a 21st-century design-oriented luxury boutique hotel.

Rich textures of wood and stone warm spaces that might otherwise approach minimalism; each of the seven rooms and eight suites differs in its layout and orientation, and some include fine details like freestanding bathtubs with views of the valley. The proprietors have also invested in some impressive common spaces, including a library with an incongruously cozy concrete-clad reading nook. The hotel’s spa is eye-catching and surprisingly expansive; its indoor pool is joined by a pair of outdoor pools, and there’s a natural waterfall on the property. Meanwhile the restaurant serves fresh, local, seasonal fare, in the style of an Italian agriturismo.