Casa Renata, Portugal

Huette Kreuztal/Baita Val Croce,Dolomiti

 

fotos small house big house how to find map

The Casa Renata is a cottage close to    Aljezur, at the westcoast of Algarve,National Park Costa Vicentina

 

New apartment in traditional Portugues style, far away from the main tourism.

It's placed in the centre of a national park at the Costa Vicentina.

 

The size of the cottage is about 70m². It's for 4 persons.  The cottage has one bathroom with shower, hand-basin and toilet, a kitchenette, a dining table for 3 persons, one sofa (extensible) and one armchair. We have two bedrooms. One with a marriage bed and one with a single bed, extendable to a marriage bed.  Further one bed for babies is available.
The
terrace runs around the house and has a roof on the east side. We have a big and a small pool, may be used by the clients of the big and the small house. In front of the house there is a big barbeque.

    

                 Surrounding

 

                                            Monchique

The two mountains in the north of Portimão are known as the Serra de Monchique. The higher of the two is called Foia, and the other Picota. They are the remnants of Jurassic volcanoes.
The Rocha Negra - Black Rock - of Praia da Luz is an
intrusion of the lava from those volcanos.
 

 

The village of Monchique lies on the slopes of Foia, and around here there are several restaurants offering Chicken Piri-piri, a grilled or barbecued chicken marinated in a hot pepper sauce.
Below the village are the Caldas de Monchique, the mineral water springs utilised since Roman times. A Bishop built a Hospital here, for the benefit of those wishing to take the waters. King Jo�o II came here, in 1495, in the hope that the treatment could alleviate his illness. Nowadays Monchique water is bottled and sold.
On the top of Foia are the radio and television masts which serve the Algarve, and from here it is said that you can see Lisbon, if the weather is fine. Like all mountains, however, these attract clouds, mist and haze and it would be an exceptional day to see that far. If it is, in anyway, fine, magnificent views stretch away to the south and the sea.

        

 


 

                                                             Silves

                                         

Silves, to the east of Monchique, lies on the River Arade, which flows down to the sea at Portimão. In earlier times the river was navigable up to this point by fairly large vessels. Today there are trips there in the traditional Portuguese 'canoes' which depart from Portimao.
Crowning the hill overlooking the river is the Castle of Silves, which was the Alhambra of the Al-Gharb. The knights of the re-conquest, under King Sancho I, attacked and took the castle in 1189. The Moors shortly regained possession of their capital and despite numerous assaults the city held out until 1266, when Dom Paio Peres Correia conquered this last outpost of Arab rule in the Algarve.
Just inside the city walls is an archaeological museum, set up around the Moorish Town well.
The Cathedral of Silves is on the road from here, back down to the river.

 

 

                            Aljezur

The town of Aljezur lies on the road from Lagos to Lisbon. From here a road may be taken cross-country to Marmelete and the Serra de Monchique.

                                         

                                                          Aljezur Castle

The most striking feature is the castle, set on top of the hill, overlooking the town. This is, in fact, not a castle with keep and bailey and quarters for soldiers, but the original fortified town. Recent archaeological excavations have found that the Moors first constructed it in the late 8th Century. When the Christians conquered the Algarve, Aljezur nearly held out until the fall of Silves.
In the 14th Century, new houses were constructed in the castle on top of the Moorish foundations, keeping to the basic layout, but now butting directly onto the walls covering the Arabic walkway which had previously lain around the inner circumference.


 

       

Aljezur from the castle gate

A 13th century house wall


 

Gradually the town spread out of its bounding walls and down the hill. The second part of the town, constructed on the other side of the river, owes its location to a Bishop, who considered that the West bank was unhealthy.

 

 

              
The 'new' town Aljezur Church

 

Waterslide Parks

A good day out, especially for the young and active, is a visit to a Waterslide Park, of which there are three west of Faro in the Algarve. This is the nearest.

 

                   Beaches

  

        

About 4 km from our apartment, there is a wonderful beach, called Vale Figueiras. Even during the peak season, it's not overcrowded.
During the rest of the year it could even be called lonely.
Many signed walking tours lead through this unexplored countryside, where the sea and the mountains combine to an unusual natural monument.

           

Further there are several other beaches nearby, for example the fabulous beaches of Amoreira and Carapateira. They are situated about 10 km from us.

 

 

                    Sights

 

Sport and entertainment: Lagos, 25 km from us, has the opportunity of sailing, motorboat driving, surfing, diving and organized
boat trips. You also can do nice trekking tours.

           

 

You can reach the south-west coast of Europe in about 20 minutes by car. There are many things to see, funny rocks in the sea, romantic harbours and historical points.

 

 

      

 

   E-Mail: renate.raue@googlemail.com

   Tel. 0049 5601 87890      Mobil: 0049 178 4720273

   Tel. Portugal: 00351 91 501 7359         00351 962456722 (portugues)