Sé Boutique Hotel

The bedrooms in this charming hotel are calm and contemporary in style, but the communal areas are colourful: a lobby furnished with antiques and sofas in rich velvets, a breakfast room in bright green, an inner patio with walls painted Madeira blue.

Manager André will welcome you with a refreshing melon and mint drink, and can supply maps of running routes around the city as well as wicker weaving courses, walking tours, massages or Reiki sessions. Pick up a gift and browse the designer clothes in the small shop set off the lobby.

Homemade apple or banana cake, freshly-baked bread, eggs, bacon, sausages and baked beans with a range of cereals and pastries are on the menu for breakfast; treat yourself to the lobster and champagne bar or dine on simple but tasty Mediterranean food at O Calhau restaurant next door. There’s also a rooftop bar with views of the cathedral steeple and a terrific cocktail menu.