Unfortunately we booked for the wrong date, and when we noticed the Hotel was unable to support us and rearrenge the booking, keeping with not only the signal already paid for one nigth and a complete voucher of one night with dinner.
The Duna Parque is an appartement comlex that is well taken care for. It is beautiful located in the first line behind the dunes. The appartements with open fire places can be cosey spaces even on rainy winter days.
We enjoyed our apartment for one night— relaxing the swimming pool( outdoor/ indoor)—-small but Sufficiet for gym exercises after a tiring 12 mikes walk tough the dunes and on the clips.. Tge saune: relaxed the tired muscles. A nice bar— a dedicated service. very friendly atmosphere.
We stayed in a 2-bedroom suite at the Duna Parque Beach Club in Vila Nova de Milfontes for 2-nights in mid-Sep (102€/night). It was located on the outskirts of town amid what seem to be a new development stretching N behind the dunes. It had several 3-story white buildings arrayed around a central green space that included tennis courts & a moderate size pool with loungers by the entrance to the bar & small lobby. There was an indoor pool, in a glass roofed solarium, separated from the main pool by a small wall (bath caps required, 5€). The grounds were nicely maintained, backed by large dunes with a trail to the cobble beach. Facilities included a small bar with pool tables, games, & a very small restaurant that specialized in steaks. Breakfasts were available at the sister hotel, the MS Milfontes, which was 5 min walk toward the river. We were given complementary vouchers for one breakfast, plus vouchers for arrival drinks, a nice touch. There were 2 restaurants within a 5 min walk, one a bar and the other a fairly expensive formal restaurant, both overlooking the river. Otherwise, restaurants and supermarkets were a bit further away downtown, about 5 min by car.
Our apartment was spacious, bright and airy. Arrayed in a long shot-gun, there was a reasonable sized room with 2 beds and plenty of storage at the front (there was an in-room safe, but it had a daily fee), then a full kitchen (with all of the utensils, a full refrigerator/freezer, oven/stove & microwave) with a breakfast bar, then a long sitting area (couch only with small wall-mounted TV), the 2nd bedroom to the left (2 separate beds with storage), and a nice balcony through french doors at the end with views over the courtyard, tennis courts, pool.
Overall, the Duna Parque was a pleasant spot in the off season, with plenty to see nearby (the fort, promontory over the river as it flows into the sea), and there were a couple of nice seaside towns to visit to the south.
The rooms are spacious and clean. The beds are good. Free Wifi is fast enough even to watch Netflix. It‘s not far from the beach and directely at the dunes. Good views, silent enough. It‘s nice to have a warm water option with the spa.
The playground is unusable, too hot and too dirty, no shadow. Some things are broken even. We never saw anybody cleaning the pool during a whole week. People started writing messages in the dirt of the pool. The jacuzzi is working but broken inside, like a giant stepped in it and left some holes. The showers look horrible, a couple of broken swimming noodles are next to the pool, nobody cares. People from the local tennis club play tennis every morning and every evening next to the pool area which is quite noisy, also on the balconies of the living rooms. If you order a snack during snack times you might not get your snack if the bar people feel like it, referring to the restaurant. You cannot order meals to take away also, it seems for some bar people. Mini golf was removed, signs are still there. The fridge is noisy and rotten (but working), the sink makes weired bubble noises day and night.
I guess there are better and cheaper options in Milfontes. You might not get a spa / warm water pool or tennis place there but it will also be clean, spacious but with better service and closer the city.
