Casa Amendoeira

Classic Country Home Subtly Updated

An authentic Algarve country retreat, this two-story, whitewashed, blue-accented beauty with its classic red-tiled roof stands tall in the rural Algarve, a short drive from the cork capital of Sao Bras de Alportel. Atmospheric and serene, the home’s 2023 architectural update draws on the strength of the original structure, where clean-lined updates in formed concrete, a new floorplan, and a makeover of the original terracotta floor tiles and whitewashed walls renew the property as an easygoing haven for casual gathering with friends or family.

Each of the three bedrooms has an ensuite bath with a rain shower. Two are on the ground floor, and one room features a loft bed accessed by a small staircase. A new modernized kitchen opens into a high-ceilinged, exposed white timbered living and dining area, and there’s a fireplace to cozy up to in the living area with its built-in sofa seating. Outdoor spaces are pastoral and relaxing, with a cobbled outdoor dining terrace, hammocks, and loungers in the shade of trees, sunbeds and pebbled terraces for soaking up some rural vitamin D, and a pool planned for 2025.

Around

The house is situated on the outskirts of the village of Loulé. A 20-30 minute drive lands you at the nearest beaches, and the home makes a great base for exploring both the east and west Algarve coastlines. The traditional village of Querença is a picturesque, whitewashed community with a handful of local restaurants, and the market town of Loulé (8km) features bright stalls of handicrafts, local farm products, and traditional foods, many available to sample on site. Loulé is home to a castle that dominates the town and offers great views of the rural Algarve countryside.

The small inland city of São Brás de Alportel is about nine or 10 kilometers from the home. Its low white houses merge with its more ornate facades, buildings dating from the town’s legacy as the summer residence of bishops beginning in the 17th century. In the 19th century, the area’s vast cork-oak plantations created a new economy, and São Brás became the world’s largest cork-producing municipality. Tours of the Novacortiça factory detail the history and uses of cork, harvested from the cork oak tree, a species unique for its regenerative bark. Almond, fig, carob and pomegranate trees also grow in the hills, and the vast rural area is known locally as the “barrocal,” a place of small villages tucked into the hills and trees. A half hour’s drive lands you on the busier Algarve coast, where the fishing port of Olhao, the Ria Formosa Natural Park, and the islands of Armona and Culatra await exploration. Golfers can enjoy a course only 7 kilometers away, and other clubs a bit further, within a 20 kilometer radius.

Location

Nearest airport: Faro (25 minutes)

Best time to visit

April to October