And by this, I mean it was much much worse than it appears online. First of all, property manager takes at least a day or two to respond to any questions you might have. That's understandable as we were coming from the states and in a different time zone, but less explainable once we arrived and tried to contact her during normal business hours. Then when we actually got to the property we tried asking her is there was laundry services on the property and never got an answer. I'm guessing there isn't and she didn't want to tell us this?
Upon arrival, we were greeted with a very old creepy looking bearded up lake house. It took us a while to undo all the shutters and see it's charm in the daylight. It could be a nice place if it was cleaned, gutted out, painted, and had furniture that didn't smell like it'd been sitting out in the rain for years. And the appliances. Old, dirty, possibly unsafe? There are lots of signs around the house proclaiming "manager use only". Okay? If you're that concerned about guests taking liberties with you picnic blanket, perhaps keep it somewhere else?
Also, the smell. Horrid. It's a very old place and the first thing you're assaulted with as you walk in is the unmistakable stench of mold. Every cupboard or door you open makes it even worse. We washed every dish we used in scalding hot water (there isn't a dishwasher of course) before eating with is because they not only looked dirty but had been sitting in mildew and dust for who knows how long.
And the bugs. So many bugs. If you're a budding entomologist this is the place for you. We saw flies, spiders, ants, mosquitoes, and a variety of Portuguese insect natives.
Location: the place really is on the lake shore of the blue lagoon and is very scenic. The nearest town is about an 8 minute drive away but be warned, it is not much of a town. If you want groceries or a decent meal you will have to drive 40 minutes to get to Ponta Delgada proper. No big deal, except these roads have very little signage and it's quite difficult to get anywhere without GPS. Do not stay here unless you get a rental car, the taxi trip is 49 euros one way.
You get what you pay for, and unfortunately this place isn't a deal. Would not stay here again.