Quinta da Mimosa
Monchique, Portugal
PT | ENG
Quinta da Mimosa
PT | ENG
Monchique, Portugal
desde 1990
desde 1990
About Us
Quinta da Mimosa is a very secluded and private villa, being about 120 metres down its own gated driveway from the main road, marked by two large white pillars secured by a pair of black wrought iron gates with the name of the house on top of them, you'll see no signs of the villa, turning a corner you will pass a small ruin with an old bread oven, which is about all that remains of the original farm house. Then, as you pass the restored stable building, the driveway turns to the right and the house and swimming pool are revealed ahead of you in what can only be described as a mini oasis.
From the front of the house, no other property is visible and only glimpses of farm buildings and distant houses can be seen from the back. Most of the land and hills within sight across the valley belong to the villa, being part of the original farm and citrus groves that occupied the land.
This magical spot seems to have its own micro-climate and if palm trees, bird-of-paradise flowers and other exotic plants in the garden close to the house were not enough, a pretty stream and woodland walk along the river bank, through giant bamboos, weeping willows and the beautiful mimosa trees from which the house gets its name all add to the effect.
However, it is not at all isolated and two very good, inexpensive restaurants are just across the road from the gates. Just over a kilometre away is the beauty spot and spa village of Caldas de Monchique, the source of one of Portugal's most popular bottled spring waters. Here you will find some classy restaurants and beautiful walks just as the former Portuguese Royal family once enjoyed. For those of you who didn't know Portugal became a republic after the Revolution of 1910.
With spacious light and airy interiors, the ground floor consists of a kitchen, dining room, bathroom, two sitting rooms and a large hall surrounded by glazed, double doors and its twin, curved, marble staircase leading to the upper floors. The hall also has its own water feature and Portuguese Chandelier which hangs above the entrance.
The living room is comfortably furnished for 9 adults and has a large television with two satellite systems to receive English, French, German, Russian and Portuguese channels. For hot summer days, the French doors open onto a patio with air conditioner's fitted for extra comfort which also double up as heaters for the winter. For cooler times there is a large fireplace in the living room and a cast iron wood stove in the dining room and a supply of wood is normally kept in the patio. Also on the ground floor is the large, fitted kitchen which is well equipped and has a built in high level electric oven and separate electric induction hob. There is a microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher and ample crockery and cutlery. French doors lead to an outdoor dining patio which is close to the BBQ, fire pit and pool deck. This can also be reached from two more pairs of French doors from the nicely furnished main dining room. There is also a laundry room and a downstairs shower-room which has a hydrotherapy shower cabin, washbasin, bidet and w/c.
The en-suite master bedroom is fitted with air conditioning and heating. There is a king size double bed and also a single bed, enabling this to be used as a family room if desired. The en-suite bathroom with bath/shower, w/c, bidet and washbasin is as spacious as the bedroom itself, with a view over the garden and pool, there is also a balcony leading off the master bedroom with a small seating area.
The secondary master bedroom also has air conditioning and heating and shares a bathroom with a smaller bedroom next door. There is a double bed and plenty of space for a cot if required, with a large wardrobe and a very large sun deck.
The smaller room has two twin beds and a covered balcony which is ideal for teens or children. There is also a rollaway bed, which can be used anywhere in the house.
The second floor bedroom is reached by another flight of curved marble stairs. This is a nearly circular, twin bedded room in the villa's central tower and it has an en-suite shower, washbasin and wc. All the bedrooms have big built-in wardrobes so there is plenty of storage space. Any of the twin beds can be pushed together to make a double, if you so wish.
This villa really is as large and spacious and airy as the pictures show. With lots of windows and high ceilings, hot weather is not normally a problem as the water is heated by both Solar power or mains, there are ceiling fans in all but two rooms, and those have pedestal fans or portable air conditioners.
In the Garden there is a 10 metre x 5 metre swimming pool with a separate spa pool and attractive waterfall features, a terrace area with sunbeds and a barbecue. For the safety of children, there is a gate to the pool terrace. The shallow end of the pool is about 3 feet deep for nearly half the length of the pool, then slopes down to about 6 feet. If you want a lazy holiday, then lounging around the pool and BBQ should fit the bill.
There are over 12 acres of grounds belonging to the villa, divided by the small river that flows throughout the year. In the immediate garden there are Roses imported from England, Moroccan Palm Trees, a herb garden and a Banks' Rose which was taken from a cutting from an original that was brought to England by Botanist Sir Joseph Banks during his expedition to China in the 18th century.
Surrounding the property are numerous orange and lemon trees and of course the beautiful Mimosas, which are at their most spectacular early in the year. The pine covered hills also have cork oaks and arbutus - the "strawberry" trees whose fruit is used to make "Medronho", the local firewater and the sweet liqueur "Meloso", both of which are often offered in restaurants after meals!
Our own woodland walk takes you through some massive bamboo and willow trees along the river bank and If you enjoy walking, you may be able to continue up the rough paths that lead up our own hillside to the Monchique nature reserve and forest trails. These can take you many miles over the Monchique Mountains with some spectacular views along the way, although since some fire damage in 2018 access to them has been partly obstructed by fallen trees which still have to be removed.
For that well deserved get away in the sun, please contact us.
Quinta da Mimosa
