It’s the end of the year, and this week we’re taking a look back at nine of the top stories of 2025, like this one:
Guests at Quinta do Pinheiro stay in white-washed cottages within touching distance of a swimming pool created from the farm’s water tank. Located on the grounds of a still-working 19th-century agricultural estate, the retreat is set within Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, a protected reserve of beaches, dunes, and salt flats in Portugal’s Algarve.
The property belongs to a Dutch entrepreneurial couple who have become farmers in Portugal—and happen to have great taste. In addition to maintaining the avocado orchard and reestablishing the quinta’s vineyard, they hired esteemed Lisbon firm Frederico Valsassina Arquitectos to turn the existing farmhouse and surrounding structures into two- and three-bedroom guest cottages. The design, starting with the red-painted doors and window frames, draws from the traditions and materials of the region. Join us for a tour of two of the houses.
Photography courtesy of Quinta do Pinheiro (@quinta.pinheiro).
Casa Celeiro
Above: A newly introduced living room niche showcases relics found on the farm: one of the previous owners was a collector who ran his own small museum on the premises.
Casa das Flores
More cottage enclaves that we love:
- One, Two, Three Minimalist Guesthouses on the Coast of Portugal (Pools Included)
- Camptown in Upstate New York: 13 Perfect Summer House Details
- Converted Rail Carriages as Vacation Cabins at Settle in Norfolk, England plus A Lakeside Retreat
N.B.: This story originally ran on July 11, 2025 and has been updated.
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