Holiday home Casal no Campo

Lush green forests, gentle valleys and charming vil­lages cha­rac­terise the Minho region, one of the most unspoilt in Por­tugal. Lined by the Atlantic Ocean, which rolls over the long, partly deserted sandy beaches. On a hill on the edge of the small coastal village of Vila Praia de Âncora, just five minutes by car from the sea and all other leisure acti­vities, lies the Casal no Campo — an elon­gated, impressive building that is shielded on one side by an anthr­acite-coloured, variable façade of metal struts, and on the other opens up to the land­scape with its window fronts.

A few sheep graze peacefully on a neigh­bouring hill and every now and then a rooster crows. These animals give their names to the two iden­ti­cally sized halves of the house that unite to form Casal no Campo — the couple in the coun­tryside. In the east-facing holiday home “Onde o galo canta”, or Galo for short, the sunrise illu­mi­nates the expansive view of the valley. The west-facing “Onde as ovelhas pastam”, Ovelha for short, offers the light of the setting sun with a view of hills and sheep.

The building was con­s­tructed in 2011 as a split-level holiday home before being given a new shape and fresh life by its current owners. The basic and initial structure is formed by two cubes framed by a shell, which hover above the ground at the front and open up slightly offset ter­races at the rear. The clear form of the house con­trasts with the hilly land­scape, the long open staircase follows the topo­graphy and divides the building into two halves. The exterior of the shell has plaster sur­faces, while the two cubes are clad with black, ver­tical slats — a refe­rence to the typical gran­aries of the region. In the area of the floor-to-ceiling windows, the louvres can be com­pletely opened.

Inside, the under­stated white walls, light-coloured wooden floors and micro-ter­razzo bath­rooms provide a cosy atmo­sphere. The fur­nis­hings are a mixture of local design, renowned classics and sel­ected indi­vidual pieces. Each half of the house offers space for up to six people, with three bed­rooms and two bath­rooms. A large, well-equipped kitchen invites you to cook tog­ether. There is a fire­place in the living room for the winter. In the basement, there is a sauna and the in-house yoga room, which opens out onto the com­munal garden where various seating areas and a jacuzzi invite you to spend relaxing hours out­doors: Dece­le­ration “à por­tu­guesa”!

What to do

The sheltered bay of Vila Praia de Âncora and the surrounding beaches are ideal for surfing and swimming, various water sports, walks on the beach, hiking along the coast (the Way of St James also passes close to the house) or in the mountains, swimming in crystal-clear springs, rivers and waterfalls, e.g. in the Gerês National Park, cycling, canyoning, kayaking and boat trips, horse riding, excursions to the characteristic villages of Caminha or Viana do Castelo or to the cultural cities of Braga and Guimarães, wine tasting thanks to the rich regional wine culture, a visit to the fish market and the numerous bars, cafés and restaurants to sample the culinary specialities

Why we like this house

A thoroughly sensorial and relaxed house with exciting architecture, light-footed flair and a positive flow.

This house is great for

(Large) families, couples of friends or groups and retreats for up to 12 people

Sustainability

Solar system, public transport: the nearest train station is approx. 3 km away (hourly connections to Porto), but a hire car or e-bikes are recommended to explore the area

Details

Availability calendar

The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with a white background, the accommodation is still fully available. If an accommodation has more than one rentable unit, days with free capacities are shown with a light grey background. On days with a dark grey background, the accommodation is not available.

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