Monte do Zambujeiro

Framed by cork oaks and old olive trees, the saltwater pool at Monte do Zambujeiro looks straight down onto the Mira River. The property covers 70 hectares of Alentejo countryside, a kilometre from the Rota Vicentina's coastal path and a few minutes from Vila Nova de Milfontes. Seven houses and suites sit across the grounds, from the loft-ceilinged Casa do Rio, with its own outdoor shower and hot-water deck, to Casa da Adega, a former wine cellar built into the rock and naturally cool through summer. Casa da Avó looks out on the river from every window. You can hear little beyond birdsong; the area holds more than 170 recorded species. A jetty gives direct access to the Mira for boat trips and picnics by the water, and the surrounding trails lead out toward the coast's sandy beaches. Breakfast is laid out daily with regional produce. Evenings favour the terraces and hammocks scattered through the gardens, or the panoramic swing above the river. Rooms carry central heating and kitchenettes; the Casa da Charca suites, set about 300 metres from the pool, are for adults only. Horse rides run through the dunes to the beach, and a local coach teaches surfing along the southwest Alentejo coast. It is a quiet, working stretch of land, not a manicured one.