Quinta da Coruja

Our Algarvian retreat is located a short distance behind the main coast road running from west to east along the bottom of Portugal. 2 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms can accomodate parties of 4.

The pervasive silence is broken only by the rustling of vegetation in the breeze and assorted ornithological sounds. House and grounds offer a tranquil environment in which to draw, paint and laze. Artists who favour noise can make as much of this as they like since there is no-one living within 200 metres of the property.

A farmhouse whose vintage surpasses the memory of the locals, Quinta da Coruja lies 6Km from the town of Lagoa and 9Km from Silves, the ancient capital of the Algarve with its Moorish castle perched atop the town. Coves and beaches tucked beneath impressive cliffs abound in this part of the Algarve.

Originally a sheep farm (the present owners heartlessly evicted 137 of the creatures during the course of its purchase), the house is still surrounded by fields. It is located 500m from the road and is reached using a well maintained track. To its right a field under agriculture sweeps down what was a shallow river valley in Roman times. The dirt runway used to seed the field by aircraft for a couple of days each spring doubles as the local eagle morning take off and evening landing strip when not being used for the previous purpose.



The farmhouse has been sympathetically restored, preserving the character and many of the original features of the building. Most of the rooms display exposed beam and cane ceilings. Flooring throughout is with traditional sun-baked tiles. The original 3ft thick walls are of solid stone and clay, offering protection from the summer heat. Winter chill is held at bay by a wood-burning stove in the main room.

A 40ft long split-level main room provides ample space to act both as studio and living room. The roofed area to the front of the house provides shade from the sun for painting outside.

The house is located within easy reach of a bar / shop (600 metres). There are many Portuguese restaurants and bars within a 6Km range. One particularly appealing restaurant can be found in Poco Baretto (3Km) where the owner has somehow requisioned all but the platform of Poco Baretto station and put the same to the service of his catering empire. Coastal resorts offering night life (Carvoeiro for the "international" tourist and Armacao de Pera for the Portuguese tourist) are roughly a 12Km and 10Km drive away. NB There is no public transport in the immediate area, so a hire car will be required.

The house is available at special rates to artists during winter and spring, starting at £150.00 per week. Contact admin@artandartists.com for further information mentioning that you saw this info on www.artandartists.com.