Photography: Carlos Cezanne and Lava Homes\' courtesy
16 / 11 / 2020
Arriving on the most mountainous island in the Azores archipelago, we are taken aback by the stunning colours of nature, a flora that rises from the volcanic ashes and moves us at every glance.
On every corner, nature surprises us with unsettling colours and spontaneity. We travel through Santo António, São Roque and Prainha, still enraptured, before approaching this delightful village set in the middle of Terralta, where each of its fourteen houses bursts with life and where every nook and cranny touches us profoundly.
No doubt, there are other ways of writing about serenity, but the one that matters here is the result of the passion of Benedita Branco – pioneer in the initiative and one of the eight partners in the project. She welcomes us warmly, offering an early glimpse of the family atmosphere of this place. After holidaying on this island for 30 years, where she used to enjoy “entertaining friends and taking them for walks”, she decided to swap Lisbon for the island of Pico and focus on tourist accommodation. With the help of a local friend she discovered this old cheese factory, “totally in ruins and where cows grazed”. She felt an immediate connection: “It felt like I was flying”, she recalls smiling.
No doubt, there are other ways of writing about serenity, but the one that matters here is the result of the passion of Benedita Branco – pioneer in the initiative and one of the eight partners in the project. She welcomes us warmly, offering an early glimpse of the family atmosphere of this place. After holidaying on this island for 30 years, where she used to enjoy “entertaining friends and taking them for walks”, she decided to swap Lisbon for the island of Pico and focus on tourist accommodation. With the help of a local friend she discovered this old cheese factory, “totally in ruins and where cows grazed”. She felt an immediate connection: “It felt like I was flying”, she recalls smiling.
Photo: Carlos Cezanne
Photo: Carlos Cezanne
Photo: Carlos Cezanne
The original idea of building three houses soon evolved into the creation of a small resort full of intimate courtyards, with a swimming pool reminiscent of a huge drinking trough for cattle and a multi-purpose room designed to host events or yoga classes. Inside, the floor-to-ceiling windows ensure a constant dialogue with its essence: the infinite blue and slender silhouette of the island of São Jorge. Omnipresent and accompanying us at every step, every time we look around.
Photo: Carlos Cezanne
Photo: Carlos Cezanne
Photo: Carlos Cezanne
Photo: Carlos Cezanne
Photo: Carlos Cezanne
For more information, visit LAVA HOMES website.