Casa Céu, a 4-room hideaway in Olhāo, Algarve, Portugal
Photo by Renee Rae
Distance from airport - Less than 20 minutes from Faro airport. Unless you’re planning to explore the area by car you might be better off getting a taxi from the airport. Casa Céu offer a a transfer service from Faro Airport to Casa Céu - to be booked at least 48 hours prior to arrival. €25.
Casa Céu
Owners Lara and Dario , an African-Swiss couple, decided to change their lives and move from Switzerland to Portugal, to open Casa Céu in June 2020. Moved by the mild climate, the fantastic beaches and the authenticity of the city, they developed the project of Casa Céu moved by the desire to adopt a "calmer and saltier lifestyle and enjoy what is good in the region: the smile of the Portuguese, the smell of the sardines that roast slowly on the ember and fill the air of summer nights and that giant blue sky".
Casa Céu is an adults only a discreet and exquisite guest house built in 1924. You’ll find this little hidden gem in the fishing town of Olhão in the sunny region of the Algarve, Portugal. This small boutique hotel is a private affair with just 4 rooms, a great option if you’re looking for a small place to stay and to have all to yourselves.
A simple, chic oasis, Casa Céu is a typical house full of history which has been transformed into a very cool, contemporary boutique hotel. Come and stay and experience long sun-filled days on the islands, lazy afternoons on the rooftop terrace and soak up the colourful sunset and starry skies. Come alone, come with a friend or enjoy the experience as a family. It’s the perfect refuge for travellers and if you do need to catch up on some emails why not make a base on the roof terrace.
Breathe in the the salty air, stroll the walkways surrounded by the sand dunes of the white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters.
Breakfast is usually served on the terrace with 360 degree views across the town and dinner (if pre-booked) can be arranged. Just as you’re enjoying your fresh orange juice on the terrace you’ll watch the fishermen returning from their morning catch, a tradition that has continued for centuries. At lunch time the smell of roasting sardines and grilled fish wafts through the town before it quietens down for siesta time.
Rooms at Casa Céu
Images of Casa Céu by Renee Rae
This elegant oasis has a floor with 4 rooms named after typical Algarvian trees - orange, carob, almond and fig trees. The 4 en-suite rooms at boutique hotel Casa Céu have been designed to highlight the original features of Casa Céu whilst incorporating new, fresh, modern interiors. Every detail, from the simple, pared back and modern interior design, to the house's own character and location, has been thought of with the modern traveller in mind. Casa Céu is a place to relax, slow down and where you can appreciate the here and now, so essential in this fast-paced world we live in.
There are no TVs - but there are plenty of fun games and books to enjoy and read in one of the corners of the house. WiFi is complimentary throughout the house.
Concept Store
On the first floor there is a kitchen that is used for cooking demonstrations and the living room, a concept store with kitchen and utility products (many of which Lara and Dario use themselves) and a cellar built in what would have been a cistern system for the fishermen. This is also where you’ll find the all important honesty bar, open to all guests.
Food
Both Lara and Dario have a real passion for food, flavour and cooking. Their focus is on good food using products found in the local market bought daily. Their cooking methods are aimed at enhancing the flavours and their love for Moroccan cuisine and flavours is evident in some of their marriage of flavours such as their orange flower yogurt & spices of Marrakech, which they serve for breakfast. Freshly caught local fish, is prepared in different ways such as Cataplana, a dish inspired by the Moroccan Tagines. Many recipes are gluten-free, but all are full of flavour and made with love. Lara and Dario can recommend wines to complement the flavours of the freshly prepared dishes.
Breakfast is a feast of local cheeses, seasonal fruit, homemade yogurt, pancakes, waffles, bruschetta and fresh eggs. There’s a great choice of freshly pressed juices to complement the coffee and tea.
Olhão
Olhão is one of south Portugal’s most laidback and peaceful places to visit and it’s home to sandy islands with beautiful beaches. The white, salty city of Olhão sits close to the large sandy beaches of the Atlantic Coast. Winding cobbled streets make their way through the city with its charming neighbourhoods where the Arab influences and origins are still in evidence. The old quarter of Olhão in particular has a distinctly Moorish feel and features boxed whitewashed houses, flat terraced roofs and chimneys.
There’s still a fish market, popular with the locals and travellers. As well as fresh fish it sells local produce from the farms including fruits and fresh, delicious honey.
What to see and do
Olhão is a small town with less than 50,000 inhabitants and that’s part of its charm. There are some cultural places to admire including the church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário which dates back to the 17th-century and the chapel behind it, dedicated to Nossa Senhora dos Afelitos, is still the place where the wives of fishermen gather together during stormy weather to pray for the lives of their husbands.
Some of the quietest, loveliest and biggest beaches in the Algarve are just a short ferry ride from Olhão, on the sandbank islands of Ilha da Culatra, Ilha do Farol, Ilha Desertas and Ilha da Armona which are all part of the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, a huge protected lagoon that stretches for 50 miles along the Algarve coast and which is home to rare migratory birds and shellfish, a place which nature lovers will really appreciate.
Ferries leave from the pier just east of the Jardim Patrao Joaquim Lopes.
Every year in mid August (usually during the second week) the Jardim Patrao Joaquim Lopes plays host to the Festival do Marisco, a festival of folk music and food.
Small events are held at Casa Céu, including calligraphy workshops, cooking demonstrations, wine and honey tastings, yoga classes and massages on the terrace.
João Lúcio Pousão Pereira, know by all as João Lúcio, was an outstanding poet and a lawyer who died as a result of the Spanish ‘Flu pandemic in 1918. After the death of his son he retreated from the world and the public eye and began building a chalet which became his spiritual retreat. The João Lúcio Chalet is a rotating house, without a main façade located in a pine forest at the gates of the city of Olhāo. The chalet is square, consists of three floors and has four stairs for access. A symbolic skylight completes this eccentric and unusual building. The stairs are shaped like a snake, a guitar, a violin and a fish. It’s well worth a visit during your stay at Casa Céu.
Photos of Casa Céu by Renee Rae
A stay at Casa Céu is all about the experience. Come to Casa Céu to free your mind and nourish your spirit. Surrounded by nature, the sea air and the simplicity of life you’ll soon feel the tension leave and the feeling of relaxation take over.
Casa Céu can arrange horse riding on the beach, dolphin watching, picnics on the beach and a sailing trip on their boat down the the Ria Formosa; take a dip in the sea before discovering some of the untouched nearby islands. If you’re a creative spirit why not book in to attend a pottery workshop and learn something new?
Style - White, cool and chic with a laidback beach vibe
7 nights reservations - BOOK for a week and receive a complimentary dinner for two.
Check in — 15H00/19H00
Check out — 11H00
Airport Transfer
Casa Céu offer a a transfer service from Faro Airport to Casa Céu - to be booked at least 48 hours prior to arrival. €25.