Casa Olhão

The main door leads to a living room where there are sofa beds to relax on, with two spacious bedrooms on the ground floor (which helps to keep them cool). One has an en-suite bathroom and the other has a separate bathroom that can be used by anyone in the house. Both of the bedrooms feature high-quality mattresses and linen.

Upstairs is the open-plan kitchen and dining area that connects with the outdoor terrace. There’s a large family dining table for evening meals and bar stools where you can have your morning coffee. We’re both chefs, so the kitchen is highly functional and with everything you need. The bench is also a little higher than normal to ensure the right posture, particularly for Northern Europeans who tend to be a bit taller.

A staircase leads from here to the rooftop terrace where there are sun loungers and a swimming pool, as well as an outdoor shower. This is the ideal setting for sundowners and a swim at the end of a day at the beach.

We provide high-quality linen for guests, as well as bathroom, beach and swimming pool towels (more can be ordered on request). If families are staying with young kids, we can also provide baby beds and high chairs, together with unbreakable plates and cups.

The house is cleaned on the day of arrival so that it’s fresh and is cleaned a second time if guests are staying for more than a week. We also like to add some personal touches, such as a bottle of wine with the guests’ names to welcome them. We’re also more than happy to offer our recommendations for restaurants, bakeries or grocery stores if they want to buy a certain produce item.

I’d definitely recommend visiting the three islands located off the coast, which are really beautiful, with nice beaches and a lighthouse. You can take a ferry from the main port or get a private boat. There are also bike rental companies and bike tours if you want to explore on two wheels. We’d also recommend visiting one of the nearby villages or taking the train to Lisbon. If you like to shop, there’s a big mall not too far away with around 300 shops.

Olhão is a real foodies destination too, with people from the surrounding villages coming on Saturdays to buy fresh produce. There’s also a fish market and an organic market, as well as various flea markets on Sundays. While the city doesn’t have big nightclubs like much of the Algarve, it is very cultural as there are lots of festivals happening throughout the year.