Even if you absolutely love a city – and we absolutely love Lisbon – everyone needs a break from hectic city life after a while. And luckily just outside Lisbon there are plenty of beaches and super chilled areas to discover. We previously visited Comporta, about an hour and a half away from Lisbon and fell in love with the place. On our recent trip to Lisbon however, we went somewhere even closer, to a little eco retreat called Villa Epicurea, that was just 45 minutes south of Lisbon. So close, we just hopped in an Uber and soon found ourselves in beautiful countryside, feeling a world away from the city.
Immersed in a green landscape, Villa Epicurea is located about a half-hour walk from the beautiful wild beaches on the Atlantic coast, with crashing waves and beautiful scenery. There are great views from the hotel looking down to the coast. Luckily this area is heavily protected and development is very restricted, so you’re never going to see concrete mega hotels going up here anytime soon. All this adds to the peaceful, relaxed feeling that makes the area so special.
In keeping with the natural beauty of the place, Villa Epicurea has strong eco credentials. From the materials with low ecological impact used in the construction, the biological pool and organic amenities, every detail has been lovingly thought through.
The eco-friendly lodge has three rooms in the main house and two private stand alone villas. The open kitchen and living room are common to all guests and is where breakfast is served each morning. All meals are vegan and vegetarian prepared with organic ingredients, mostly bought from local producers – there’s a small farm just down the road where they get a lot of their produce. Breakfast is included and you can also opt to have dinner here if you just give them a day’s warning. We did this one night and had a wonderful three courses of vegetarian dishes and some Portuguese natural wine. You can also grab wines and beers anytime from the fridge and log it in a book to pay at the end.
The infinity and ecologically sustainable pool is an absolute highlight of the place. The first of its kind in Portugal, the pool uses a cutting-edge technology system that allows to clear the water with no chemicals. The water was beautiful, a perfect temperature and with great views of the surrounding area while you swim.
There are also lots of activities on offer from practising yoga or meditation, or simply star gazing. We took two of the rickety old bikes out one day for a big ride out to a local beach which turned out to be quite a trek! But worth it for some calm water and a proper swim. Boy, were we glad to get home after though, the ride back was tough!
We loved our stay at Villa Epicurea and would really recommend it for anyone looking to have a super chilled, relaxing weekend in one of Portugal’s most beautiful areas.
R. do Casalinho 5A, 2970-052 Fetais, Portugal
villaepicurea.com