Villa Hart
Completed in September 2007, Villa Hart is situated on the prestigious and award winning Alma Verde Resort, winner of 16 international awards for design, energy performance and innovation. The resort sits amongst the gentle rolling hills midway between Lagos and Sagres and borders the Costa Vicentina Natural Park. Alma Verde Village & Spa is located just 10 km west of Lagos on the EN125 and is within easy reach of the small fishing village and beach resort of Burgau, which is less than a 3 minute drive away by car. The beach at Praia of Luz is just 5 minutes away to the east and Salema the same distance to the west. There are other nearby beaches to choose from along this marvellous stretch of coastline, particularly as you move further west.
Alma Verde translates as “Green Soul” and there are open, green spaces within this peaceful location, with many of the villas having panoramic views over the countryside. A quality children’s play area and 4 floodlit synthetic grass tennis courts are located to one side of Alma Verde and health and beauty treatments are available at the Wellness Centre.
Villa Hart sits in a beautiful, landscaped garden with lawns and flowerbeds, which surround the house on all four sides. The pool (which can be heated for an extra cost), terrace and barbeque areas are to the back of the property and screened from the road. Sun loungers and outside dining furniture is provided for your use in this area. To one side, there is an outside preparation area and sink with hot & cold running water together with a large, top of the range Beefeater gas barbeque – an ideal set up for outside dining. A sundeck has been created on the west facing side it is furnished with 2 sofas and is an ideal spot to relax with a gin & tonic just watching the sun go down. The property is discretely fenced and all this side and rear garden, pool, bbq & terrace area is gated and secure, making this property ideally suited to families. There is also a large, very private roof terrace furnished with sun beds and 2 sofas which is reached via stairs inside the house. A limited number of toys for small children, such as buckets & spades are provided along with tennis racquets and balls, should you wish to make use of the nearby courts. The drive has sufficient room for two cars.
The front door opens into the hall - all other rooms and the staircase lead from this area. The house is effectively single storey, with all living accommodation on the ground floor but there is a dramatic double height space in the hall area. The living/dining room is open plan to the kitchen and has patio doors leading to the pool terrace. The living area is beautifully furnished with 1 two seater and 2 three seater sofas to seat eight people. There are DVD and CD players with a TV delivering some 40 channels including BBC, ITV, sky channels including sky sports and several children’s channels. CDs, DVDs, books and games are also available for you to use. The dining table seats eight and the whole area is tastefully decorated. The fully equipped kitchen has an electric oven and hob, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine/dryer and all usual small appliances.
The house has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The master bedroom has a king size double bed, a small TV and a full bathroom en-suite. The other three bedrooms all have twin beds. Two of these twin rooms open out onto the pool terrace, one of which has a large en-suite shower room. All bedrooms have built in wardrobes and bedside cabinets - two hairdryers are provided. There is a separate large shower room for use with the other two twin rooms which also doubles as a cloakroom. Stairs from the hall lead onto a large roof terrace with lovely views over the surrounding countryside.
There are numerous good restaurants to choose from in the surrounding area of Burgau, Almadena, Budens, Salema, Luz and Raposeira and the lively cosmopolitan town of Lagos is only a 15 – 20 minute drive away. The Marina dominates the river at Lagos, as it opens into the sea and you can choose activities such as deep sea fishing, a dolphin seafari trip and boat & BBQ trips. Lagos is an historic town with some city walls still standing after the earthquake of 1755 and there are several museums and churches worth a visit. This is a working Portuguese town with markets, shops and plenty of restaurants and cafes to choose from. Should you want to play golf, Alma Verde is only a short distance away from Parque da Floresta Golf to the west and Boavista to the east.
The fabulous west coast beaches, where the surfing is renowned, are only 15 minutes drive away from Vila Hart and the Monchique hills and the historic old capital of the Algarve, Silves, is a 45 minute drive to the east. A little farther away is the renowned Aquatic Park, Zoomarine where particularly children will find a fun filled day and those slightly older may interact with dolphins. There is a small zoo just outside Lagos and for those dedicated shoppers amongst you, Algarve Shopping at Guia is a must. On top of all of this the beaches are sandy and plentiful – there really is something for everybody here. A car is essential not only for your holiday enjoyment but to gain an appreciation of just what the Western Algarve can offer.