Before exploring the beautiful cliffs and beaches near the Areias do Seixo,
I have tea with a friend in the large lounge-dining room of the hotel (pictures 1, 2 & 3). I really like how light brings rhythm in the big hall, drawing shadows, chiaroscuro. The view of the nearby ocean (photo 7). Decoration: a successful mix of raw concrete, antique objects, the omnipresence of wood, cabinet of curiosities and ultra modern structure. The whole creates an unique world really contemporary and poetic. We are in the Costa de Prata, under an incredible blue sky, but I can also feel a little elsewhere, Morocco, Scandinavia … nomadic setting.
In the evening I meet Gonçalvo Alves,
co-owner of the Areias do Seixo with Marta Fonseca who are a couple of travelers, from Torres Vedras:
– We wanted a big house where people meet to share simple things. We also had a real interest in ecology and sustainable development. We wanted something beautiful and very simple in hippie chic spirit, the best of luxury. We worked with the architect Vasco Vieira and designer Rosarinho Gabriel to create a unique place dedicated to people who are in love.
How the Areias do Seixo is it an eco-friendly hotel?
– We have a green cover on the roof to balance temperature. To consume less, geothermal underfloor heating and thirty solar panels for electricity and heating. We use compost to fertilize our garden and vegetable garden. Products of the restaurant are from organic agriculture and most of them are from the region, including wine.
Ninety percent of people who work at the hotel are locals. It becomes common to worry about the environment in Portugal. Our great-great grandparents were very green and sustainable. And Portuguese remained very authentic, very attached to their roots. We draw our knowledge among the ancients. We apply the rule of the 3 R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle.
Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2014, tous droits réservés.
What would you like your guests to take away from their experience of Areias do Seixo ?
– Some say they have redesigned their life and relationship to the environment after their stay here. It’s wonderful for us because it is our passion !
Obrigada to Gonçalvo Alves, Marta Fonseca and all the team !
Informations
Areias do Seixo – Charme Hotel.
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My friend and I were guests of the Areias do Seixo hotel and as always these opinions are mine.
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