Chic and cheap

Quickly checking the headlines on the papers, came across the Observer's article about Portugal's rural hotels, 20 estates across the country:

Spain has its haciendas, Portugal its quintas - country estates with bags of character. Some are hidden in the hills, some on the coast, some cheap, others very chic, but glorious scenery and a slower pace of life come as standard. In this preview from the new edition of his book, Alastair Sawday picks his favourites.

It goes on dividing the retreats into categories, like Rustic chic, Close to the coast, Bargain boltholes and Away From It All.

Read the article for great escapes on the country or buy the book Portugal, by Alistair Sawday.