The Perfect Get-Away: Aqua-Ventura, Portugal

Around about this time of year many of us begin yearning for the perfect get-away.   Here is where Steve and I were in Portugal last July with friends Jonny and Vio who provide a unique way to enjoy this country with warm and welcoming hospitality, great food and options to hike, kayak, surf and relax.

From sheep to castles, Portugal has it all:

And did I mention the food?   Surf side, in the home with Jonny and Vio or cafe and restaurant.

Here is an excerpt from my writing on their website:

Jonathan and Vio have managed to bring the magic that is Hort de Gloria to the Algarve of southern Portugal. The trade off, if there is one, is the charm of pastoral farm country for the energy of the sea. A ten minute walk from the ocean, their home decorated with treasures from South Africa, Spain and Morocco is your home for as long as you stay. The dining table fashioned by Jonathan from rare South African rail ties is the center of life in this vibrant house- hold. 

Woofers, young enthusiastic volunteers from around the world have followed the family to an idyllic Portuguese landscape. The kitchen bustles with woofers, family and guests cooking vegetarian meals or fish or meat if that better suits your appetite with fresh ingredients from the market in Vila de Visbo five kilometers away. The same eclectic collection of music from around the world that was a part of Hort de Gloria is the background for boisterous banter around the stove. But if you prefer to find a quiet space in the sitting room or out on the veranda that abuts the garden in both the front and back of the house no one will complain. 

For more of what I have to say and more about what Aqua- ventura has to offer go to their website and begin planning your next adventure:

http://www.aqua-ventura.com