Cá na Serra

Earthen Elegance

This newly constructed villa on a wild, wooded hilltop outside Melides is a meticulous architectural composition by Luis Pereira Miguel that honors its humble rural origins. Rammed earth, matte plaster, wood and concrete dominate in each of the home’s three independent structures clustered around a central patio—main house, guest house, plus a garage with a rooftop terrace.

This boxy natural beauty is built around an open interior courtyard, a sheltered dining patio enclosed behind three massive barn-styled sliding doors defining the place where the property’s original structure once stood. Below the elegant hilltop home, a pool is built into the side of the serra, with a waterfall feature than spills down the lot’s rugged slope. Wood furnishings follow organic lines. Bedrooms are varied in style, though each is outfitted simply in a desert chic design. A stunning rammed earth dining table and bench is built into the open-plan living/dining room, and the home’s textiles display soothing shades of sand, sage and bone to match the muted hues of the landscape visible from oversized picture windows and doors.

Additional features

Family equipment is available (baby bed and high chair). Photo shoots are on request only, with an additional contract and proof of insurance required.

Around

The home sits on a dirt road some five minutes from the thriving coastal village of Melides, and about four kilometers inland from the nearest beach. Hip global nomads have marked modest Melides as their new favorite playground, riding in on the coattails of French designers, international architects, entrepreneurial urbanites, and modern art collectors and jetsetters. Entering town, you’ll pass fashion designer Christian Louboutin’s hotel project and arrive in the cobbled center, where cafes, art galleries, boutiques and artisans’ studios await. 

The well-heeled enclave of Comporta is only a few miles away, zigzagged by shops, cafes, restaurants, and pretty outposts of the rich and famous. The buzzy, if vast and relatively unpopulated, beaches of Comporta and Carvalhal are north of the property, places ideal for sun worshipping, horseback riding or sipping a beachfront cocktail. Big wave surfers should try their luck on the region’s famed Atlantic waves at nearby São Torpes beach in Sines. 

The landscape around Melides differs a bit from the greater Alentejo region due to the Lagoa de Melides, or lagoon, that surrounds the community and contains a stunning variety of flora and fauna within the protected ecosystem. Waterbird habitat is abundant, and eels from the waterways make for a popular catch for local diners. 

Location

Melides, Portugal. Nearest airport: Lisbon (1½ hours)

Best time to visit

April through November