About

Welcome to one of the most traditional and unique restored Portuguese hamlets in the Algarve in southern Portugal, the "Casas da Capela do Monte" at Monte da Charneca near the village of Barão de São João, Lagos.

Set in beautiful and peaceful countryside just 10 minutes from the beach of Praia da Luz and 15 minutes from the city of Lagos, the houses are located in a historical area of the western Algarve that enjoys an average of 300 days of sunshine a year and can be visited all year long.

The most important feature of the property is the "Capela do Monte", the Hillside Chapel designed by the world-renowned Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza. The chapel is the focal point for a wider project, to be built in the coming years, to add additional housing, a restaurant and sports facilities and restore the remaining old cottages that are still in ruins.

Seven typical houses form the hamlet locally known as Monte da Charneca, a farming community that like many others in the region fell into abandonment and ruin over the decades. The owners have spent the last 30 years sensitively restoring the cottages with a local heritage architect, and currently live in three of the cottages. Four cottages in this unique hamlet are available for holiday renting, all named after traditional trees: Casa da Oliveira (The Olive Tree House), Casa da Laranjeira (The Orange Tree House), Casa da Amendoeira (The Almond Tree House) and Casa da Ameixeira (The Plum Tree House).

Whether in the hot months of summer or in the mild days of winter, guests are invited to come and enjoy these charming country cottages, which have been restored in a tasteful, yet rural and traditional village pattern. It is unusual to find such a preserved place as the Casas da Capela do Monte, filled with Portuguese tradition and heritage.

The hamlet has covered parking spaces for 13 cars, gardens and terraces, an orchard with some 60 citrus and other fruit trees, and land with about 300 almond, fig, carob and olive trees. The property produces its own electricity and is completely self-sufficient in water (see our Environment page for more). The property is thus interesting from an environmental, historical and architectural point of view. All of these features make the Casas da Capela do Monte a wonderful, peaceful alternative to crowded beaches and multi-story hotels in many of the coastal towns.

A unique and unforgettable experience in the rural part of the Western Algarve.