Areias do Seixo Charm Hotel
March 2011

Rarely in life do you find places like this, so close to home, that just makes you wish you could leave everything behind and stay forever, this augmented by the fact that such a perfect heaven is found in my country, a Portugal gem near Lisbon and by the sea, this is Areias do Seixo.

This magic spot is located in Santa Cruz, a mere 30 minute drive from Lisbon. A coastline populated with gracious wild beaches and historic towns like Óbidos, known as the West Coast.

Truth be told Santa Cruz is not the most beautiful place in the World even though I have a strong childhood connection with these surroundings, but one can say, in perfect conscience, that at Areias do Seixo we can find an immaculate oasis. We can start validating this statement by analysing the outside structure, an imposing reinforced concrete building with perfect straight lines, crowned by a red metal square that houses the magnificent penthouse. It jumps to mind to tag it as a cool bunker that protects you from all the outside madness.

Once you pass the enormous front door, all efforts are made  to make us feel at home. You can expect a warm unpretentious welcome, aiming mainly at freeing you from your day to day burdens.

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Forget your bags and indulge in some home-made tea, made out of fresh picked lemon grass from the nearby green house, accompanied by some cake that teleports me to childhood. This ritual takes place in a comfy couch by a suspended fireplace framed by gigantic windows that let you gaze at the garden with the sea in the horizon.

The chill out bug really starts to kick in...

As we wish, at our own rhythm, we're shown the bedroom, the much appreciated, generally speaking, TERRA, which literally means earth in Portuguese, but one can infer several meanings.

This room is just the perfect follow up for the moment we spent at the lobby. It's a seemingly perfect fusion of minimalist design with all the essentials for unblemished restfulness. We found it remarkable that such a great concern in preserving the environment was shown by having several pieces of furniture, spread out through the premises, based on recycling nature’s offerings.

There is no TV, although one will be provided upon request. This started out to be somewhat an unpleasant surprise, but it proved to be just what we needed to shutdown our minds from media pollution for one minute and get back to basics.

Among other things, no TV brought back my primal worship of making fire, accomplished by playing with the installed fireplace. Its soothing crackling sounds mixed with the blowing wind and the waves clashing into the shore composed the ultimate soundtrack for gently inducing us a sweet dreamy sleep.

Waking up fully restored, found breakfast to be served in the same principles as all the meals around here. This means fresh products, acquired locally or picked on the hotel grounds, privileging bio sources when possible, prepared on the same day. So expect good cuisine, with Portuguese ingredients cooked in a traditional fashion with the imposed notes of garnishing design, not to fancy but not at all bland.

Exploring the beach is mandatory, as walking out the private balcony we're only 200 meters apart from the white smooth sand. This is the kind of Portuguese beach that has fortunately been hidden from the masses, it is Nature in its purest form. The sea and the sandy stretch lie under a high cliff that offers great panoramic view. Can't stop breathing in the addicting aroma, which is a mix of ocean breeze and fresh smells of wild bushes that grow freely through the sand. We wished we could put in jar to carry it back home.

The couple of “artists” that enabled us to experience this invigorating peace tour, Marta and Gonçalo, told us this beach reaches maximum crowding on August Sundays, with 50 families top…what a gem!

Marta and Gonçalo are always present, and clearly represent the critical success factor. They welcome us as guests at their home; you really can forget you are at a hotel.

Everyone gets a chance to know them better at the Circle of Fire, a daily ritual that takes place at an outside space circled by tree roots (nature’s offerings), where a big fire is lit, so a group of people can share a glass of wine and speak their minds.

We left dying to come back and with the outmost respect for this sustainable project, showing strong arguments to succeed, and would like to acknowledge the outstanding entrepreneurship spirit shown by Marta and Gonçalo, which is not always easy to prevail at our country. This is the kind of attitude we need to differentiate Portugal, by absorbing its natural riches and stepping forward by innovating with courage.

I end with the same observation written on the guest book, “We want to live here!”