Portugal: Refuges with soul between sea and mountains – 04/09/2024 – Social Network

One was born by the sea. The other, on the mountain. Both in the central region of Portugal. Areias do Seixo Hotel and TheVagar Countryhouse Belmonte are 298 km apart, the distance between the Atlantic coast and Serra da Esperança, almost on the border with Spain.

However, they maintain proximity as destinations that combine sophistication and sustainability, in a symbiosis between comfort and interaction with nature.

What is also common is the fact that the two projects were created by two young couples as spaces in which hospitality rhymes with ecology.

Both the five-star hotel on the sand and the charming guesthouse in the mountains combine concepts such as material recycling, energy efficiency and water reuse.

Areias do Seixo is the result of the dream of Marta Fonseca, 48, and Gonçalo Alves, 48, who built a magical and cozy place on Santa Cruz beach and its beautiful dunes, one hour from Lisbon.

Now divorced, the partners continue to share the adventure of keeping soulful hospitality alive.

TheVagar translates the love story of Marta Domingos, 45, and André Pinto, 41, who built a rural ecotourism enterprise in the Serra da Esperança, on the outskirts of Belmonte, hometown of the trailblazer Pedro Álvares Cabral, in an area with traces of Roman occupation.

Next, a tour of two hotels that aim to deliver a hospitality experience that is both refined and casual.

SEIXO SANDS

Each of the hotel’s 15 “soul” rooms opened in 2010 has a name and a poem on the door, the translation of the spirit of the accommodation present in the decoration of the entire environment.

Upon arriving at the Oliveira e Princesa room, guests are greeted by the poem “Eros e Psiquê”, by Fernando Pessoa.

The bathroom welcomes guests, divided into four rooms. The shower room has two powerful shower heads, separated by an armchair-shaped trunk. In a kind of glass cage, the burnt cement bathtub is a jacuzzi, installed under a skylight from which you can enjoy the stars.

The yo-yo quilt, the kind from grandma’s house, is a touch of comfort and nostalgia. Also noteworthy are the iron fireplace and the panel in the background with reclaimed wood and a rocking chair made from an old door, suspended by steel cables.

Venetian mirrors and crystal chandeliers are items of refinement, in contrast to a bedside table that is nothing more than an oxidized barrel with a glass top.

“When we bought this land, the idea was to create a different hotel, as if it were our home, where we welcome people with a hug, as if they were family. It’s an invitation to bring people to a simpler life and a reunion with nature, so that they can strip away layers and get to the essence.”

Marta Fonseca, owner of Areias do Seixo

The decoration uses natural and recycled materials. The rubble from the construction site, instead of being thrown in the trash, became creative pieces of furniture. Scaffolding bases, for example, are bed legs.

The giant chandelier on the restaurant’s ceiling was made from the twisted steel of the old roof swallowed by a mini cyclone that passed through the region causing widespread damage.

“All the wood in the work was reused to decorate the spaces and as support for furniture. The idea is to give new life to the materials”, explains Marta, about the concept of upcycling, nothing more than giving a new purpose to something that would otherwise be discarded.

The owner mines ideas in her travels around the world, especially in India and Morocco, strong references in the decoration designed by renowned architects.

Marta is also the one who leads the singing around the fire. In the circle of fire, she holds the accordion and sings songs ranging from “Carinhoso”, by Cartola, to “Saudade”, by Cesárea Évora.

Gonçalo, ex-husband and father of the former couple’s two 17-year-old twin sons, proudly shows off the new restaurant that has started to operate in the greenhouse, next to the orchard and vegetable garden.

He talks about water reuse systems. Showers, for example, are used to wash the floor. The garden with native plants does not need to be watered, saving water for watering the vegetable garden.

The accommodation does not have air conditioning, but an air conditioning system that uses geothermal energy to heat the floors, taking advantage of the earth’s temperature.

“We introduce In these 10 hectares our way of living, whether in upcycling wood from the construction site, in reused water or in the ‘farm do table’ [da fazenda para a mesa] of the produce from the garden that supplies the restaurant and serves our employees. We introduced composting and geothermal. It is something that goes beyond environmental sustainability and reaches social issues. We are creating a space for employees, so they can take advantage of the services offered to guests”

Gonçalo Alves, owner of Areias do Seixo

The 150 employees at the family’s three hotel businesses can choose to go to work on an electric bike. In this case, they receive a subsidy of 500 euros to buy the vehicle.

Luca Caffettani joined the group five years ago. Italian from Parma, he is responsible for the vegetable garden. He arrived as a volunteer and was hired along with his girlfriend, Silvia.

The duo takes care of the organic planting of a small “edible forest”, where fruits such as mango, cherry and banana are grown. The garden has more than 50 types of vegetables, as well as edible and decorative plants.

“We follow the principles of permaculture and agroforestry logic, cultivating a large diversity of interconnected plants”, explains Lucca.

The greenery and colorful flowers are within reach of guests’ sight and plate, who also enjoy the spa, infinity pool and a deserted beach.

For those who want privacy and romanticism, the option is a tent with exclusive access to the top of the dunes, with a fireplace, bathtub and a deck.

The “shelter where love meets nature” and the restaurant in the greenhouse are new. “We are always making changes,” says Gonçalo, about the feeling that Areias do Seixo has just opened.

TheVagar Mountain Suites

The name TheVagar is more than suggestive. It’s wandering, rambling, slowly.

Situated in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, on the outskirts of the historic village of Belmonte, the country house offers accommodation for an ecotourist who values ​​”slow living”, a slower way of enjoying life.

The property spreads over 245 hectares of a mountain range with an equally suggestive name: Esperança. It promises relaxation, such as meditation and massages, and ecotourism experiences, such as baths in bathtubs strategically planted in the forest and picnics at sunset overlooking the main mountain range, Estrela, known for its excellent cheese.

The spa offers a series of sensory baths, with herbs harvested nearby, which invite you to end up in the infinity pool with spectacular views.

Breakfast can be served outdoors in the garden. There are only six suites, explains owner Marta Domingos, who also lives there with her husband and two young children who have the privilege of growing up in a nature reserve.

“I’m from Caldas da Rainha, which is close to the sea, and André, from the mountainous region of Belmonte. We have a common passion, which is tourism. We met at college and I convinced him to live on the beach, but then we came here . He always wanted to live in the mountains, where we moved when we decided to start a family. And then TheVagar was born, this place full of soul, where everything makes sense. Since he was little, he saw this little house on the road and today it is our home , where we raised our children Aurea, 8, and Isaac, 5, next to the larger house, where we welcome guests. The invitation is to disconnect from everyday life and enter the different rhythm of the mountain.”

Martha Domingos, owner of TheVagar

The couple’s story intersects with that of the place where the bases of the rural tourism enterprise were located. Long before it was a charming inn, TheVagar was the holiday residence of the Count of Caria, nicknamed Chandeirinha and built in 1946.

Higher up, there is Casa dos Cedros, the caretaker’s residence, which filled the future owner’s childhood dreams. André’s desire only materialized in 2016, when he acquired land that encompasses an important archaeological zone.

“During the construction of the road, in 2013, Roman ruins from the 2nd century were discovered, which are close to the entrance to the property. At the top of the mountain, we have a route to a Roman fort, which were natural rock formations in high-altitude sites used as defense and surveillance points. From there, they sent smoke signals to communicate threats to other forts and castles. We are 700 meters above sea level, within a private reserve with 16 kilometers of trails.”

André Pinto, owner of TheVagar Suites

On jeep tours, André guides guests to explore mountain trails, including a picnic in the pine forest.

A special program is the “hot tub”, a peculiar hot tub. TheVagar’s jacuzzi operates in a lagoon, heated by wood, in a perfect space to enjoy moments in communion with nature.

The project was designed not to cause any visual or environmental impact. “Our hot tub is fed with spring water and heated with biofuel, also from the mountains and without any chemical treatment”, explains André.

With abundant sources of water, gardens and vegetable gardens are irrigated drop by drop using the force of gravity and the natural slope of the land. They use a biological septic tank system and the pool is treated with sea salt. “We use a thousand kilos a year and zero chlorine”, says the owner.

The property restoration project took four years to be approved. Between bureaucratic comings and goings, the official opening was in 2022. The stone buildings gained modern comforts and decoration.

Part of the material that would be discarded after the works was reused to build a sensory trail, to be walked barefoot.

The paths made of rubble alternate: gravel, coarse sand, granite, tiles, wood. In the second part of the trail, the ground is covered with pine cones, hay and moss. The tour ends at a mini dam with a shower and a sand tank to cool off.

The more adventurous can follow the walk, without rushing, along the stone channel on the water path.

When saying goodbye to TheVagar, guests are invited to leave a note at the Tree of Dreams planted in front of the fireplace in the living room.

Just like in Areias do Seixo, where a stylized tree carries recommendations such as: open yourself to nature, eyes to the sea and be happy.

Service

Areia dos Seixos Hotel

Site:

Daily rates: from 420 euros (R$ 2,290)

TheVagar Mountains Suites

Site:

Daily rates: from 130 euros (R$ 655)

Editor and columnist Eliane Trindade traveled at the invitation of the Regional Tourism Promotion Agency Centro de Portugal