Vale da Cegonha - Luxury Self Catering Holiday Accommodation

Location

Vale da Cegonha is situated in the Lower Alentejo province of southern Portugal. The town of Ourique is located 6 Km in one direction and the village of Garvao can be found 5 Km away in the opposite direction.

The beautiful Monte da Rocha lake, which is 5 minutes away by car, is clearly visible from the highest point of our land.

The west coast of Portugal is about 45 minutes away by car. Here you will find pretty little towns and villages: all with uncrowded, unspoiled long sandy beaches. For a little more razzmatazz, the much livelier Algarve beach resorts can be found to the south - about 50 minutes drive away.

The capital, Lisbon, can be reached in about 1 ½ hours and the beautiful Guadiana River Valley and Spanish Border are about 1 ¼ hours away.

Faro airport can be reached in about 1 hour and Lisbon airport in about 1 ½ hours.
Beja airport, scheduled to open in 2009 will be about 45 minutes away.

Why Holiday Here?

This area of Portugal is known as The Planicie Dourada, or Golden Plains. It is a landscape of rolling hills and open plains dotted with cork oaks, holm oaks, eucalyptus and olive groves - interspersed with pristine white towns and villages. The country houses and villas, like Casa de Aguia, are traditionally long and low with terracotta roofs, white walls and brightly coloured surrounds to the doors and windows.

In spring vivid red, yellow, purple and white flowers carpet the land which slowly turn golden as the summer progresses. You will also find a wonderful array of wildlife: we have hares and partridges running in the grounds and little owls and swallows that nest here. Blue magpies, brightly coloured bee-eaters and hoopoes also visit and spectacular birds of prey soar overhead. Then there are the storks - Vale da Cegonha means valley of the stork - and they nest all around us from November until early September.

As well as being very beautiful, this area also possesses an air of timeless tranquility far away from the stresses and strains of modern-day living. Life goes on in the villages much as it has done for centuries. Shepherds still tend their flocks and everyone, it seems, has time for a friendly chat. Many of the local families have been here for generations and as for the people themselves, they are kind-hearted, courteous and very welcoming. They may not speak your language but a friendly smile and warm handshake are never very far away.

So, the Alentejo is the perfect place for a relaxing getaway. But for those who would like to do more on holiday, the other main answer to ‘why holiday here?’, is its proximity to so many other interesting activities and places to visit. Details of which can be found on our Local Interests page.

Directions

The closest town to our villa accommodation is Ourique. Ourique is situated almost midway between Lisbon and the Algarve.

From whichever direction you approach us you have a choice of 2 routes, each with the same road number. Either, the old road, the IC1 or the new motorway the IP1, which is a toll road.

In both cases the IC1 is shorter but the IP1 can be faster as a result of the amount of heavy traffic that still uses the IC1. The choice is yours.

Full and detailed directions for reaching us will be forwarded upon confirmation of your booking.

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