travel
Photography: Courtesy of Herdade da Matinha
20 / 07 / 2021
We slowly approach the Southwest Alentejo Natural Park and Vicentine Coast, just a few kilometres from the white sand beaches. Enveloped by the fragrance of rosemary and lavender, we can imagine spending long days to the sound of chirping birds, the smell of warm bread and unexpected encounters with foxes and weasels while picking small strawberry-tree berries.
Inside the Owner’s House, we feel entirely at home.
Alfredo Moreira da Silva remembers the passion that led him to transform this “old property with no water or electricity” into his own home. A dream that would soon evolve into a unique hotel project that, 25 years later, would boast 35 rooms distributed over five buildings: the Owner’s House, the Casa Velha, the Surf Lodge and the recently-opened Family Farmhouse and Rose Club. The former is designed to accommodate large groups, while the latter being more intimate, offers “a quieter and more luxurious type of accommodation”.
When it comes to the architecture and interiors, Alfredo also recognises the importance of creating an immersive and homely atmosphere, “just like when we stay at an old friend’s country house”. The colourful canvases he has painted are among the best examples of his passion for “nature, land- scape and music”, which can be seen in small details like the hand-painted murals of local animals, the crystal vases filled with fresh flowers from the garden, the multitude of books and magazines, and even at the restaurant table, where dishes are served that have been prepared with freshly-picked produce from the vegetable garden or orchard.
Alfredo Moreira da Silva remembers the passion that led him to transform this “old property with no water or electricity” into his own home. A dream that would soon evolve into a unique hotel project that, 25 years later, would boast 35 rooms distributed over five buildings: the Owner’s House, the Casa Velha, the Surf Lodge and the recently-opened Family Farmhouse and Rose Club. The former is designed to accommodate large groups, while the latter being more intimate, offers “a quieter and more luxurious type of accommodation”.
When it comes to the architecture and interiors, Alfredo also recognises the importance of creating an immersive and homely atmosphere, “just like when we stay at an old friend’s country house”. The colourful canvases he has painted are among the best examples of his passion for “nature, land- scape and music”, which can be seen in small details like the hand-painted murals of local animals, the crystal vases filled with fresh flowers from the garden, the multitude of books and magazines, and even at the restaurant table, where dishes are served that have been prepared with freshly-picked produce from the vegetable garden or orchard.
“Our goal is that, in the near future, the restaurant will prepare meals that only use the farm’s produce, so that its ecological footprint becomes virtu- ally non-existent,” he emphasises.
For more information, visit Herdade da Matinha website.