Algarve rural accommodation in Portugal
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Nanette has been able to create a tranquil and beautiful atmosphere, and being so connected to nature through her work, she also feels the responsibility to live and work as 'green' as possible. This means you will be asked to recycle your waste, there are separate bins for plastic/metal, paper and glass in the house. Organic waste will be recycled to be used for the garden. The house will be cleaned with Ecover products and you will find ecover dish washing liquid on your sink (no dishwasher!). Bed linen will only be cleaned after your stay. Showers have water saving tabs and you will find notes to save water and electricity use as much as possible. Lamps have energy saving bulbs. The house is well insulated with double glass windows, which saves a lot of energy in wintertime and keeps the house nice and cool in summer, so need to use aircos or electric fans. The landlord has promised to build a solar heating system this year, so hopefully soon we will be free of using gas. He is also promised to let us be connected to the agro water supplying system, so we can use water from the lake to water the garden.
There a huge organic orange yard, with a horse grazing to keep the overgrow of weeds in balance. Nanette also has a little organic herbal garden, with various herbs, including herbs like fresh mint to make a herbal tea. Her son Nuno usually keeps his own little vegetable garden, providing us with lovely tomatoes, big pumpkins and sweet paprika’s.
Community
Our accommodation used to be an old farm, owned by a Portuguese farmer. When he died, his son wanted to keep the house in the family. So he renovated the ruin in 2009 and decided to rent it out to somebody who appreciates the history of the house and respects the attachment of the family. So when he met Nanette and her two sons Nuno en Tjacco, he was happy to give them a home and the house a new destiny. The owner lives close by, still passes by every now and then to come and pick oranges and helps out when practical things need attention.
Guests are encouraged to do their shopping at the daily local market and by their bread at the local bakery. As well as to visit the local tiny (and cheap) restaurants. The guesthouse provides a list of where to find the nearest organic farm for your basket of organic vegetables, when to visit the weekly organic farmers market, where to find the nearest organic food shop, etc.
Nanette donates a local environment protection society, called Almargem. By organising nature retreats herself, she, (from a Buddhist point of view) helps people to become aware of the inseparable connection between human and nature and the importance to respect and protect nature as we are so much part of it.
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