Casa do Xão

A Hideaway with Heart

This villa for rent in Portugal is located on a six-hectare plot of land in the mountains of Grândola, minutes from the increasingly popular creative enclave of Melides. On the outside, the house has a simple, natural feel, its pool hugging the edge of its weathered wooden deck and looking out across the verdant trees to the lagoon of Melides beyond. A small river sits at its feet. 

Although it has all the desirable elements for a Portuguese hideaway, this is not a cookie-cutter villa. On the inside, high ceilings and white walls form a base for its characterful mix of furnishings, large leather armchairs, chaises, comfy sofas, and poufs resting on eclectic scatter rugs, with antlers, ceramic cockerels, and diverse paintings accenting the space. We love the gently curved ceilings and archways, stone and wooden floors, and wood paneled doors. 

The villa sleeps up to 10 guests in four suites, each with a shower room. On the ground floor there are three bedrooms, two with two single beds each, and one with a queen bed. On the first floor there is a further en-suite bedroom with a queen bed. There are two large living areas, one inside with a flat-screen TV, and the other outside, with a large dining table and a barbecue, along with the pool and sunbeds.

AROUND

This villa for rent in Portugal is located outside of Melides in the Alentejo region, just south of Lisbon. The Alentejo is ideally positioned to enjoy both the countryside and the Atlantic coastal areas. Along the immediate coast, a five-mile-long stretch of sand separates the sea and the lagoon, with the much-loved beach of Aberta Nova just 10 minutes away by car. Praia do Pego and Praia Carvalhal can be reached within 30 minutes and are among Portugal’s most beautiful beaches.

The lovely former fishing village of Comporta on the Troia Peninsula is fast becoming a popular spot for the stylish crowd but thankfully retains its laid-back vibe and windswept natural beauty. Santiago do Cacem, the ancient Moorish and later colonial community, with its quaint cobblestone streets and fortifications, is 30 minutes south, along with the stunning ancient Roman settlement of Miróbriga. Cais Palafítico da Carrasqueira is a very unique fishing village along the coast, and Setubal and the Sado estuary region are an hour north.

LOCATION

Melides, Alentejo, Portugal. Nearest airport: Lisbon (78km, 48 miles).

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring through fall.