Located in the historical center of Lagos, this centenary home was remodeled over three years by a couple passionate about their native Algarve. Dedicated to the easygoing character of their region’s sundrenched lifestyle, and energized by its vibrant seaside culture, they rebuilt the home with respect for tradition, incorporating local materials and sustainable design features. Their focus: to restore the unpretentious atmosphere they love about the Algarve, and enliven the faded historical structure with the region’s characteristic coastal charm.

Lockdown found the owners of this traditional home in Lagos’ historical heart rebuilding the structure with love and respect for local traditions. Though centrally located, it feels worlds away from downtown. Insulated from village activity, the home was intentionally designed to be a private hideaway—a sunny, happy place featuring an intimate courtyard garden and sparkling dipping pool.

The interior décor gives the home its distinctive barefoot design style. The space is bright white and breezy—a low-key coastal living space. But it’s also a home where the new and modern combine harmoniously with the old and original. Vivid white walls and blonde-wood furnishings with just the right touch of boho offset the structure’s original, exposed-stone walls, hand-hewn wooden beams, and weathered tiled floors. The newly whitewashed walls and cheerful furnishings actually highlight the home’s historic bones, and the owners have crafted the lighting and layout to emphasize sections of original walls and vaulted volumes.

A spiraling interior staircase gives the open-plan living area a modern touch and leads to the upstairs bedrooms. (There is one bathroom upstairs, and a half-bathroom on the ground floor.) Rooms are furnished casually with local crafts and regional handiwork, and décor accents in macramé, terracotta and natural fibers keep the atmosphere easygoing throughout. Outside, the lime-washed exterior is accented by shades of seafaring greens and blues painted on window frames, doors, and trim.

Perhaps best of all, the home offers layers of uncomplicated coziness at its heart. There’s a generous interior fireplace and fully-equipped modern kitchen, and an exterior grill with a meal prep space, a heated dipping pool, and an outdoor shower, surrounded by leafy potted plants in the vivid, inviting courtyard.

AROUND

This vacation home rental in Portugal is located in Lagos. A postcard-pretty destination on Portugal’s southern coast, its fortified historical center rivals its many romantic, coved beaches, such as the famed Praia do Camilo, accessible down a steep staircase to the sand. The golden-to-terracotta-colored cliffs surrounding Lagos have made the laid-back beach town a darling of influencers for good reason, as the sweeping views are undeniably breathtaking. The town’s beaches are known as some of the country’s most stunning, set amid dramatic rock formations, with golden sands, grottos and limestone arches. Boat tours in and around the seafront cliffs and caves are not to be missed, and walks along the vast Meia Beach or through the pedestrian tunnels connecting small beaches and coves are also popular. 

Kayaking tours allow you to discover the Algarve’s iconic ocean caves and beach coves, and SUP tours are also possible. Hikers will appreciate the 6km Seven Hanging Valleys trail which ends at the dramatic Praia da Marinha, considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The cobbled, fortified small city of Lagos is a great place to wander, with attractions such as its gilded Igreja de Santo António church, colorful residences, graphic street pavings, sweet boutiques, and many outdoor cafes and taverns creating its lively, low-key atmosphere.

LOCATION

Lagos, Algarve, Portugal. Nearest airport: Faro.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring and Fall