Reviewed by Tom Bell
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MONTE VELHO NATURE RESORT - REVIEW
You’re in the Costa Vincentina National Park, where south-western Europe sinks into the Atlantic. You’ll find the odd village, but that’s about it: no resorts, no development, just mile after mile of forested ridge. Staggering beaches combine with dunes, cliffs and caves to offer a sense of real wilderness. Small colonies of surfers hang out in the water and ride the waves, so join them or watch with awe.
Two kilometres up a dirt track atop a hill, you find Monte Velho, wrapped in 50 hectares of farmland, lost to the world. All you hear is nature at work: bees buzzing in the lavender, donkeys braying in the fields. The scent of spruce fills the air, imperious views stretch for miles, a clean sweep across rippling hills to distant Monchique. Fittingly, Monte Velho doesn’t try to be too fancy. Instead, a cool rustic-chic: bright and colourful rooms, French windows that let in the view, a wood-burner in the sitting room, hammocks and breakfast on a shaded terrace. Head south to Sagres, a town with a rich seafaring history; all the great explorers stopped here before sailing off to discover the New World. |
