Casa Salá, a townhouse in Portugal

New Look for Historic Townhome

This multilevel townhouse’s new allure comes from its modern refresh, a top-to-bottom update from its vivid rooftop pool terrace to its shaded outdoor living areas by way of its brightly updated interiors.

Infused with newfound urban flair and a touch of the sunny, seafaring and coastal, the multilevel residence in the heart of Olhão, along a narrow, Moorish-inspired cobbled street, has been whitewashed and reconfigured, splashed with glinting tiles and a new, marble kitchen and contemporary stairwell.

Views over the city’s rooftops extend from both the mid-level outdoor living room and the redesigned rooftop, where a dipping pool and lounge chairs invite you to unwind under the bright blue skies, in a nod to the property’s prime coastal location.

Around

A waterfront city in Portugal’s beachy Algarve, Olhão is known as a lively fishing harbor, its oceanfront busy with boats hauling in the daily catch, and a tight web of cobbled streets lined with fishermen’s cottages radiating from the harbor. The city’s harbor opens into a famed regional lagoon, the Parque Natural da Rio Formosa, and the sandbar islands of Armona and Culatra, both offering pretty beaches, are located to the south.

Still a working class fishing town, the city is widely considered the Algarve’s most authentic, a place where Portuguese residents outnumber tourists, and restaurants, bars, and beaches are filled with local families. The city’s market is famed for its fish and seafood, of course, and the city’s Bairro dos Pescadores, or Fishermen’s Quarters, is of architectural interest, its squat, square, brightly white-washed houses lined with bright blues and seafoam greens.

The Rio Formosa Natural Park is a protected saltwater lagoon teeming with bird and marine life that is visitable on boat, kayak or on foot along marked paths in the Quinta de Marim. The notable Fábrica, a wild, sandy stretch within the park’s boundaries, has been named one of the world’s best beaches. Ferry rides take beachgoers to the islands of Armona and Culatra, both quiet and calm compared to other Algarve beaches. Culatra Island is home to a small, traditional fishing village, while Armona is more of a resident’s weekend destination, with a community of small beach houses and limited services available.