Description:
One house - two times...
Casa da Lapa is located on a privileged hillside in the Corno de Bico nature reserve, where the sun beats down from morning until nightfall. The garden, full of plants, is set on several terraces where there is a saltwater swimming pool and several sun loungers, surrounded by huge rocks with a platform installed, a kind of balcony overlooking the valley of the village of Castanheira, where you can also see the Alto Minho countryside.
The green landscape is dotted with small villages where the inhabitants move around with their flocks and come across this house when collecting the animals in the evening. The sound of goats' and sheep's bells in the background breaks up the silence that surrounds the village, until now only interrupted by the chirping of birds.
The house, which is around two hundred years old, was restored in 2005 so that it would survive the test of time and house a family, while retaining its design. In 2010, it was extended with a contemporary building. Rebuilding it was a challenge.
Paredes de Coura was a sentimental choice, the location was one of its attractions and even its poverty. It was a typical Minho house, with an identity of simplicity that had to be preserved. That was the starting point for the project: 'a bridge between two moments in time' where the modest past is recognised and the aesthetic contemporaneity and comfort are valued for holiday enjoyment.
At the far end of the garden, the swimming pool, with saltwater treatment, seems to be suspended in the landscape, underlining the elegance of the space, where the flowers and trees add colour, increasing comfort and privacy.
The landscape invites guests to explore the valley and the mountain, where there are hiking trails to follow and wild horses to watch,
Visitors from all over the world with a sensitivity to an ecological countryside environment are very welcome here!
