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Classic Quinta near Lagos
Self-catering holiday rental villa with seaview, pool area, privacy
A traditional quinta in the hills near Lagos, Western Algarve, Portugal
'Quinta Life' - The story of a lifestyle
Quinta is a Portuguese term that may denote either a farm, or villa in a rural setting. It is especially this latter connotation that gave it international renown, and an association with nobility. The famous 'quintas' of Sintra, favoured by the world's wealthy since the early 19th century were hardly farms, but rather palaces in gorgeous natural settings, with substantial grounds. The origin of the word is rather more mundane: a quinta used to be a farm that was let to tenants at one fifth (quinta) of the yearly harvest.
The essence of the lifestyle that we call 'quinta life' is defined by the following:
- Peace and quiet. One's peace of mind should not be broken by rude noises, certainly not for extended periods of time. Total stillness is not necessarily needed (and is hard to achieve in the modern world without going deep into the interior), but the general atmosphere should be peaceful, totally devoid of hecticity.
- Privacy. One should never have to worry about unexpected guests, known or unknown, showing up unannounced.
- Isolation. One should be 'away from it all'. Traditionally of course meaning 'away from the masses and their toil'. In modern day vacation terms it means that at breakfast one's peace should not be disturbed by the clanging of flatware on a neighbouring property. This assumes a certain distance to other dwellings. A few hundred meters will do in most cases.
- Beauty. Beauty, especially natural beauty, is restorative.
- Softness. Any human constructs, such as the house's architecture, should not stress the mechanical, but rather the human. Forms therefore should be gently molded, avoiding sharp angles. Anthrophosophical architecture - following the ideas of Rudolf Steiner - is particularly suited to create a soft, gentle home environment.
- Comfort. One should never be in the least uncomfortable.
- Art. All arts stimulate reflection and creative thinking, and contribute to well-being. The word art here refers to work that flowed from the artist's inner needs and reflects his or her personality. This specifically excludes facile works produced for a mass market. The works should be either originals or made in small series, following a process that requires great skill and dedication. Art connects us with the spirit of it's maker. If this spirit is impure, the work defiles us. If it is pure, it refines us.
- Birdlife. Birdsong has a wonderful capacity to uplift the spirit. The presence of fruit bearing trees and bushes therefore is of the essence, as they attract birds of all plumage.
- Natural materials. Where at all practical, manmade materials are to be avoided, on account of their association with the cheap and vulgar. Natural, organic materials are to be preferred because they stress our relationship with nature. In a rental property, plastics can hardly be completely avoided, certainly around the pool, but the focus should be on natural stone, wood, leather. All linens and towels should be pure cotton or linen, carpets wool or cotton.
- Views. Wide views, not just vistas, and especially distant views, are essential for true 'quinta life', because they provide a sense of mastery over the terrain, outer and inner, which contributes to self esteem. In the past of course the ideal was to actually own anything in view, but in modern times this is achievable only for a very select view - though in the Alentejo, a little North of us, there still are properties with hundreds or even thousands of hectares, where this old ideal is still lived to the full. For most of us, to have what the French call a 'vue imprenable' - a view that cannot be taken away by building, is as good at it gets.
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Classic Quinta
is located in the
hills just outside
Lagos, 45 min
from Faro Airport, 10 min from beach and famous golf courses, 30 min from West Coast.
We welcome you in: English, French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, or rusty Spanish.