In Algarve there is a hotel-village in the hills to return to the time of peace

Fifth from Ombria It is made of chimneys, a castle and a tower. Around the town in the hinterland of the Algarve, between the wooded hills of Mediterranean scrub is full of almonds. It was said it was the love pledge of a Moresco prince, who ordered that the hills were raised by this plant, hoping that flowering and making the white landscape of flowers mitigated the nostril of the house of his beloved Nordic wife.

Fifth from Ombria, the rebirth of a village

Fifth from Ombria He has always lived between legend and history, between dream is reality: abandoned and falling, he returned to life above the ancient ruins that had been the glorious dream of a colonel who had chosen this place to make it his refuge. It took ten years to recreate the settlement, respecting rigid environmental sustainability rules and recalling that typical style of the algarve, that here had been buried by the ashes of time, With contemporary elegance and clean lines.

Viceroy in the Ombria, PHOTOS OF RICCIE

Recinance

The result is immersed in a landscape of citrus groves and vineyards, populated by storks, poppies, donkeys and pasture sheep. And a surprising hotel: the Viceroy of Ombria It is a resort that wanted to collect in itself everything that makes the land that surrounds it unique. Typical architectures, low and white, evoke the classic South and Mediterranean villages and are surrounded by bougainvillea and climbers that cling to the walls of houses with the arches, with Finish of “Taipa”, the pressed clay mud (type batted land) and used to build the houses in Portugal. The sky seems infinite all around, the meadows are full of flowers and aromatic herbs. The trunks of the figs are screwed, the almonds speak of love. No space for the pomp at the Viceroy of Ombria, but rooms with attention to detail, with blue ceramics, stoned objects, colored tiles and wooden beams on the ceilings: All the materials used are produced locally.

In the morning we discover the territory around the hotel with Idalio a shepherd who speaks Portuguese And he knows his leaders one by one. When the Viceroy group acquired the Ombria from the Finnish company that had renovated him, he asked him to participate in a project to allow his guests to get to know and follow his business. His answer was a dry no. But then he thought about it and He decided to accommodate the invitation to show the heart and soul of his land and his ancient work.

And then there are horses saved and adopted by the handlingthey are at least 20 and everyone, thanks to the passion of the owner who has put them back in sixth, are available for walks between the paths that lead Along the river source da Benevola with its waterfalls.

The blue ceramics of the Ombria Algarve

The blue ceramics of the Ombria Algarve

Formosa Ria Nature Reserve

Formosa Ria Nature Reserve

The algarve of the hinterland, in Loulè

Loulè It is located between land and sea and is famous for its castle, still well preserved and its white and red municipal market, with the towers, the crescent and the sphere.

Loulè photo of Riccizi

Loulè, photo of Riccizi

Recinance

His interior is a riot of tastes and perfumes. The mandoles, the figs pingo Meldark and dried, are delicious. THE’Moncarapacho and Santa Caterina olive oil They compete for the podium of the most loved. The peres Herculinian are crunchy and the honey that knows of citrus fruits It marries with sheep and mixed cheeses, with an intense flavor.

And then there is the fish that tells the meeting of the Mediterranean with the Atlantic Ocean in a triumph of variety. From Bùzios, molluscs inside a shell, to the marine crustaceans called percebes, to the tiger squid, the crabs and the oysters. Around, the town is teeming with white streets, citrus fruits and aromatic herbs mixed with decorated ceramics inspired by the sea and hand -inted straw bags.

Loulè and the Portuguese ceramics

Loulè and the Portuguese ceramics

Cook well and eat better

Portugal food is a serious matter. The quality is truly remarkable and it is difficult to say no. At the Viceroy of Ombria, Pedro Pinto is a chef full of energy, creativity and international awards, which he loves to organize shipments to the market with guests interested in shopping Together and then rely on his imagination to taste the preparations designed.

Aperitif of local products at the Viceroy di Ombria

Aperitif of local products at the Viceroy di Ombria

Not only that, one of the culinary experiences that can be lived at the Cafè Central, is that of prepare the famous Pastel de Nata, the pastry par excellence of Portugal made of puff pastry and cream; While, in a country close to the resort, Dalia’s family, who works at the reception, carries out a small beekeeping activity that It welcomes guests to get to know the sweet world of bees.

Algarve APPRUCIO RICCIE

Algarve Apartor, PHOTOS RICCIE

Recinance

Viceroy has Six restaurants and pastry which represent an excellence of tradition with some imaginative digression, decidedly successful. Bread is all produced at home, cooked in a wood oven, The biscuits, Bolos, know of fig and almonds, honey and cinnamon or lemon. UNMISSABLE IN THE MENU OF THE MENU KITCHEN, The Frango Piri-Piri chicken, spicy and tasty, the olives with orange peel, cod croquettes, chorizo ​​with grilled paprika or octopus salad Typical of the Algarve, with pepper, onion, tomato, oil and vinegar. The typical vine of the Algarve gives the Negramoletogether with the most appreciated local wines such as those of the young cellars of Quinta do Frances, the white Arvad, fruity and young, or the Morgado do Quintao, a white that knows of fruits and minerals.

But with half an hour of car, descending towards the coast, a visit is certainly worth a visit A cult overlooking the Formosa Ria Nature Reserve: Gigi. For 40 years, he and his wife Eleanor have received guests in fifth from the lake, on a wooden structure that can be reached by crossing the natural reserve on a long walkway that on the opposite side of the coast enters the large ocean beach. There are sand dunes, water and sky spaces And a very fresh cooked and grilled fish according to tradition.

The beach beyond the Formosa Ria Nature Reserve

The beach beyond the Formosa Ria Nature Reserve

Algarve beaches

The beaches that made the algarve famous (right)
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Source: Vanity Fair

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