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Enjoy a meal outside during warm summer evenings

Private pool with secluded sun terrace

A recently built villa in traditional Alentejo style, offers comfortable modern accommodation for holidays or long lets. Inside is a large high ceiling lounge/diner with a wood burning stove for winter evenings. The villa has 2 air conditioned bedrooms allowing comfortable nights even at the height of the summer. One bedroom is a double with an en-suite bathroom, the second bedroom a twin. The lounge has 2 patio doors opening onto a 30 sq.m. covered veranda and a private pool. The villa is set on a hill in a secluded location overlooking the rolling Alentejo countryside. Guests are free to roam over the surrounding 25 acres of wild terrain with its two lakes an abundant wildlife. The nearest village is Garvão, which is 2km away and has traditional bars/restaurants, a few shops and post office. The nearest supermarket is in the delightful town of Ourique, 14km away. Lake Rocha is just 4 km away and is a must for fishermen and birdwatchers.

Bedroom 1, a double with en-suite bathroom

A fully fitted kitchen in traditional style

 

Prices Currency Conversion

 

Notes on prices
Prices are for the property per week in euros.
Extra days are on a pro-rata basis.
Prices are discounted by 10% for lets of 10 days or more and by 20% for 30 days or more.
Sorry pets are not permitted.

Changeover day
The rental week normally runs from Saturday to Saturday but this is flexible. Check-in is after 2pm and check-out before 10am.

Accommodation

 

Notes on accommodation
The 2 year old villa is suitable for all year round occupation. The bedrooms have energy efficient air-conditioners providing essential cooling for peak summer and winter heat. The lounge can be heated in winter with a log burning stoves. A gas heater and electric radiator can provide additional heating.
Regarding suitability for children. A cot and a highchair is provided for infants. The wood burning stove has a sturdy firescreen, but guests should be aware that the villa has many dangers for unsupervised children; stairs to the mezzanine are open tread and without handrail, the pool is unfenced and the surrounding land is wild with river and lakes.
Pure drinking water comes from the villa's own 80m deep borehole, which is then double filtered eliminating the need for purchasing expensive bottled water. Pets are not allowed. Smoking inside the villa is not permitted, ashtrays are provided outside and should be used to prevent fire hazards.

Amenities/Facilities provided

 

Accessibility
The villa is mainly on one level as is the verandah and pool area, but is has not been constructed for easy wheelchair access.

Outside
The lounge opens onto a large covered veranda that provides plentiful shade from the morning an afternoon sun. In late afternoon the the sun floods the veranda giving optimum conditions for evening drinks and dining.
The tiled below ground pool was constructed in 2008, has deep and shallow ends with internal steps for easy access. The use of modern salt technology means that the water does not contain heavy doses of chemicals and is very kind to the skin.
The villa is set in 25 acres of wild terrain. Three large hills surround a long valley that has been landscaped with two lakes, the water levels are subject to the amount of rainfall.
One end of the property has a forested environmental area, while opposite end is bounded by a small river that freely flows in winter.
The lakes attract a variety of wading birds and wildfowl as well as supporting numerous frogs.

Coast/Beach
Beaches can be reached to the south and west by car in less than an hour. The 2 areas are very different.
The south coast is on the Algarve and offers a multitude of developed beaches with bars and restaurants.
The west coast is much wilder and far less developed, much is within a national park. Outside peak season the beaches are sparsely used and often on the remoter beaches complete solitude can be found.
Just a few miles away is Lake Rocha offering tranquility and fishing.

Golf
Several local golf courses are presently being constructed. For this year the nearest golf course is near Beja some 45 minutes by car. Alternatively the Algarve has a wealth of courses that are about an hours journey.

Travel
The villa is located in a quiet rural area of Portugal and most guests will find a car is highly recommended.
The closest airport is Faro, just over an hour away by car. Lisbon airport is about 2-3 hours distant.
A few miles away is Funcheiro station that has regular services, to Lisbon, Faro and Beja allowing relaxing day trips.
Roads in Portugal are very variable in standard. The motorways are excellent, national roads are generally good. Rural roads are sometimes just a track.

Distances
The villa is located just 2km from the small traditional village of Garvão which offers basic bars and shops. The nearest town is Ourique with a wider range of shops and banks.
Further afield, the following places are recommended:
Beja, the district capital is 45 mins by car boasts an attractive old town.
Milfontes is an attractive coastal town 45 mins by car to the west.
Other totally unspoilt places worth a visit are Castro Verde, Lake Rocha, Odemira, Castro da Cola and Mertola.

Further details
Garvão is an easy walk and has at least 7 bars despite its small size. Excellent local food is served in most bars. Also within the village is a minimarket, bakers, post office, cash machine and chemist among other smaller shops.
For the weekly food shop, the supermarket in Ourique is recommended. Ourique is 15 min away and has banks and petrol stations as well as many reasonably priced restaurants.
The surrounding area has many traditional restaurants, a visit to Chicken Maria's set beside Lake Rocha is a must. Lake Rocha is a large irregular expanse of water that is home to wildlife. Fishing is popular and most of the year absolute tranquility can be found. Boating is permitted on the lake but silence is preserved with a ban on motorised craft.
The surrounding area is very sparsely populated compared with most of Europe. The close proximity of lakes means that many species of birds visit the area. Numerous tracks are available for walking though beautiful terrain.
The small town of Milfontes, 45 mins away on the west coast, is well worth a visit. Set on a river estuary the views are spectacular. To the north an south is a wild Atlantic coast set in a national park. Apart from late July and August when the Portuguese throng to the beach the area has few visitors.

Depending on the season, the following birds can be seen around the villa: Special birds that can be seen from the villa - Azure Winged Magpie, Black, Red and Black Winged Kites, Booted and Short Toed Eagles, Short Toed Treecreeper, Golden Oriole, Montagu Harrier, Woodchat Shrike, Southern Grey Shrike and a variety of larks and warblers.

Just 20 km away is an important birding area, Castro Verde Plains - where visits can be arranged to see rare steppe birds including Great and Little Bustards, Black Bellied Sandgrouse and Lesser Kestrel.

Further afield are the Pera Marshes - where Flamingo, Avocet, Black Winged Stilts and many wading birds can be seen.

Booking notes
The villa is available year round, please contact the owner by telephone, email or mail.
A 50% deposit is required on booking with the balance payable 4 weeks prior to arrival. Payments can be made in euros or UK Pounds by cheque or direct transfer into either a UK or Portuguese bank.
Please note that a 100 euros cash is required as a bond on arrival. This will be returned on departure subject to breakages and misuse.

Guest comments
Without a doubt the best villa we have stayed in. Every detail has been so carefully thought out from the position of the villa taking advantage of the sunsets over the distant hills to the finer details such as a fully equipped kitchen and dvd library. We so enjoyed our stay where we spent our time in the beautiful pool and exploring our favourite beaches on the west coast and nearby Algarve. One unexpected delight was the 360 degree view of the stars at night quite a spectacle! - we will bring a star gazers map with us next time. Joanna & Darren

For booking and further information

 

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This advertiser joined Owners Direct in May 2008,
and has advertised this property with us since May 2008.

Property Ref P5334
When contacting the owner please mention that you saw this property on Owners Direct Website.

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