Vigias - Eternal Landscapes

Private Modern Lookouts in Portugal's Serra de S. Mamede Natural Park

Embedded in the Alentejo Montado among forests of cork and holm oaks, these five private houses, chock full of contemporary design, stand as cozy, contemporary natural observatories in the wild fauna and flora of the rugged Serra de São Mamede Natural Park.

A celebration of the Alentejo’s wild, woodsy landscape, the five homes create a holiday resort, each one offering its own pool and private outdoor space, and its own individual scale and style. All have radiant heating, fireplaces, and sleek, contemporary styling.

Casa Sol: Its red roof angling into the Alentejo plain from its south-facing, windowed façade, Sun House offers two king suites with adjoining bathrooms (one with a sunken concrete soaking tub) and an open-plan, timber-ceilinged living and dining zone with a double-sided fireplace. Minimalist in style, its strong lines created from wood, concrete and smoothly plastered walls, the house features exposed stone inside and a charmingly rugged poolscape with al fresco dining under a shade tree.

Casa Gaio: A loft-inspired retreat for two deep in the cork and holm oaks, this spare, modern space features a king bed off the sleek, simple living room, the loft cut open by oversized windows overlooking the wilds. Outfitted with a suspended fireplace and sumptuous tub in keeping with its loft vibes, the lookout has a private infinity pool and intimate wood deck perched on high, with mountain views for miles.

Casa Cal: Isolated deep in the park’s mountainous landscape, this house opens to nature via oversized windows, seemingly plunging into the Alentejo plain. Created for six, it features two king suites and a bunk room plus a cozy living area set around a suspended fireplace, and a kitchen/dining room. An elemental style pervades, with furnishings in a natural palette of blonde woods and shaped concrete, punctuated by a lean lap pool.

Casa Feto: Situated on a high point, this secluded lookout crowns the natural park’s wooded horizon and opens to nature, with its large windows blurring the barrier between indoors and out. Two suites come with king beds and ensuite baths, and there’s a terrace for sunset hours. Artsy and elegant, this retreat’s raw look comes polished and bright, with décor mixing modernist fixtures and furnishings with local, natural finds. The Brutalist outdoor pool slashes across the elevated lot above wide open vistas on the horizon.

Ochre House: The mother property of the collection, this house offers a traditional Alentejo look and sleeps five in two ensuite bedrooms (with kings) and a single bed mezzanine. There’s a generous outdoor entertainment and relaxation space around the pool, and the home’s traditional look is infused with contemporary styling, found in textural linens, modern furnishings, and bold natural elements in stone and wood.

Additional Features

Guests can arrange for electric bikes, hot-air balloon rides, in-home massages, or a gastronomic experience/meal service of local products and authentic flavors of the Alentejo.

Around

Located in the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park, along private, custom-created trails, this holiday resort of five private homes enjoys wild natural surroundings of mountains and forests, with dramatic views and seasonally evolving fauna and flora. The homes are immersed in parkland, dense with cork forests that are still harvested periodically, as well as woods dotted with holm oaks, chestnuts, broom, rockrose and gorse. Undulating and mountainous, the Serra de S. Mamede Natural Park covers nearly 60,000 hectares in the northern reaches of Portugal’s Alentejo region, an unspoiled area celebrated for its biodiversity, and home to birds of prey, wildlife, and bats. The Montado, or woods of cork and holm oak, is one of the region’s most iconic landscapes, and each home stands, as the resort’s name implies, as a lookout into this unique ecosystem.

Bonelli’s eagles or the Iberian imperial eagle soar above the horizon. Small animals such as badger, weasel, and fox live in the surrounding woods, and it’s possible to catch sight of wild boar or Iberian lynx as well. Aromatic Montado herbs include lavender, thyme, and rosemary, giving the area a Mediterranean feel, and foragers can discover mushrooms living in symbiosis with the cork oaks. Trails crisscross the vast, multi-home property, designed for exploring on foot. Electric bike usage available via the resort is a great way to explore the Natural Park, with some towns and fortified castles inside its boundaries (Marvão, Castelo de Vide, Alegrete) as well as the Roman ruins of Ammaia. Or take to the skies in a hot-air balloon and view the rich Alentejo region from above.

Location

Carreiras, Serra de S. Mamede Natural Park, Alentejo, Portugal. Nearest airport: Lisbon (1.5 hours)

Best time to visit

Year-round