Arriving here, after winding upwards on narrow roads that cut through wildflower meadows, is like stumbling onto a Merchant Ivory film set, so perfectly formed is the stone hamlet lost in the hills of Serra de Sicó. When the car The silence is broken only by distant geese honking and the wind whistle. Victor Mineiro is the architect behind these seven beautifully renovated cottages, and he will arrive with his Jack Russells Olivia, and Jackie. He is full of enthusiasm about a project that he’s been working on for more than 10 years, ever since he decided with his partner Manuel Casal to breathe new energy into an abandoned village. The gardens are lush, full of blossoms. Tiny wild irises in deep purple have taken hold under olive branches. A swimming pool is located in the shade under a medlar. Yellow chairs are also present. It’s not all picture-postcard beauty; these old limestone wall are also full of soul. The polished stone floors of the ochre colored houses are bathed in sunlight. The sitting rooms are filled with old and modern Portuguese porcelains, Mineiro’s eclectic paintings, mid-century furniture, and ancient Berber rugs. Kitchens have juicers to squeeze the fresh oranges provided, the fridge is stocked with farmyard eggs and Rabaçal, possibly Portugal’s best cheese, which comes from the goats that you occasionally hear bleating across the hills, and every morning warm bread, baked in a wood-fired oven at dawn, is hung in a cloth bag on your front door. Why are you here? Rent all the houses with your friends and enjoy a whole-place experience.
Sleeps: 6
