Casa do Forte
An ultra-private seven-bedroom clifftop estate between Burgau and Salema, with direct access to Cabanas Velhas beach, where the architecture opens to the Atlantic.
Casa do Forte is a private cliff-top estate above Cabanas Velhas beach in Vila do Bispo — 3.6 hectares of garden, woods, cliff and direct access to the beach below. It sits within the Vicentine Coast Natural Park, on the wild western edge of the Algarve, where rugged cliffs and Atlantic surf define the rhythm of the day.
Designed by Frederico Valsassina
Set across three levels on the cliff edge, this architect-designed estate blends modern elegance with the raw drama of the coastline. Clean lines, open volumes and vast sea-facing glazing welcome up to twelve guests — the boundary between indoors and out simply dissolves.
Across three levels, the house compartments naturally — useful for smaller groups or multi-generational stays. The central floor gathers around a living, dining and chef's kitchen volume, with three en-suite bedrooms set apart as serene retreats. The upper floor offers two en-suite bedrooms alongside a panoramic terrace, the master suite and its own family room. The lower floor holds two further en-suite bedrooms and a second living space opening directly onto the garden. Each level functions as its own retreat.
Architect: Frederico Valsassina Arquitectos
Light, space, and the sea
Minimalist interiors are flooded with natural light and framed by the Atlantic. Sea-facing lounges, a long dining table for twelve and an open chef's kitchen flow effortlessly onto the terraces.
Below, a cosy living space leads out to the garden; above, the views stretch uninterrupted to the horizon. Days drift from terrace to ocean and back again.
To the sea and the wild
Casa do Forte is one of the few places in the Algarve with a genuinely private and active connection to the sea and nature — surfing Praia do Amado, hiking a section of the Rota Vicentina, diving the reefs off Sagres, kayaking and paddleboarding sea caves, fishing in the Atlantic, cycling the coastal trails, and watching dolphins, migratory birds and coastal wildlife in one of Europe's most protected natural reserves.
Private sports pavilion
The sleek, minimalist design commands panoramic sea views, with a heated pool and shaded terraces for slow days by the water. Under cover, a full sports pavilion brings basketball, pickleball, volleyball, table tennis, table football, snooker and fitness equipment together in one space.
The fort that gives the house its name
A short walk west of the villa, on the cliffs above the mouth of the Ribeira de Budens at a place called Boca do Rio, stand the ruins of the Forte de São Luís de Almádena — the seventeenth-century coastal redoubt that gave Casa do Forte its name.
Built in 1632 by order of D. Luís de Sousa, on the foundations of an older fortification, it was raised to defend the Almadrava da Almádena, the local tuna fishery, from the corsairs of the Barbary coast. Its two batteries, set on platforms above the Atlantic, commanded the coast from Sagres in the west to the Bay of Lagos in the east.
The same vantage from which it would have watched the British and French fleets clash offshore in the Naval Battle of Lagos of August 1759, during the Seven Years' War. In the battle's closing hours, the French flagship L'Océan — Admiral de la Clue's eighty-gun ship of the line, sixty metres long — ran aground and burned within sight of the Fort, just off Salema.
The wreck lies a few hundred metres offshore at only seven to ten metres of depth, today a protected underwater archaeological site: the sixty-metre wooden hull skeleton, the great 5.5-metre anchor of mercy, a handful of the original eighty iron cannons and a pulley block scattered across the sand — an open-air museum reached on a short, accessible recreational dive from Salema or Sagres.
Sources: Direção-Geral do Património Cultural · Centro Nacional de Arqueologia Náutica e Subaquática (CNANS/DGPC) · Câmara Municipal de Vila do Bispo · ICNF / Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina · Jean-Yves & Maria Luísa Blot, Fahrenheit 1759.
A closer look
Inside & outside — a selection of rooms, living spaces and views. Tap any image to open it full screen.
Inside
Outside
Seven en-suite retreats
Each room is air-conditioned with its own bathroom, framing either the sea or the surrounding nature.
Double
King bed · Nature view · En-suiteTwin
Two single beds · Nature view · En-suiteMaster Double
Super King bed · Sea view · En-suiteTwin
Two single beds · Nature view · En-suiteDouble
King bed · Nature view · En-suiteDouble
King bed · Sea view · En-suiteTriple
Three single beds, convertible in Super King Bed · Sea view · En-suite12 Guests
Limited for optimized comfortEverything for an effortless stay
Heated pool, sports pavilion, Starlink Wi-Fi — considered comforts across the house, the gardens and the cliff.
Essentials
- 10-car private parking on site
- 500 m from Cabanas Velhas beach
- Daily cleaning, Mon–Sat (4 h)
- Air conditioning in all rooms
- Starlink high-speed Wi-Fi
- EV charging included, subject to power management
Bedrooms & Baths
- 7 en-suite bedrooms
- Sea and nature panoramas
- Double, king & twin configurations
- Walk-in rain showers
- Premium linens & amenities
Kitchen & Dining
- Open-plan chef's kitchen
- Island with sea view
- Walk-in pantry
- Double fridges & freezers
- Nespresso & filter coffee
- Seating for 12, indoors & out
Indoor Living
- Three living areas
- Sea-facing lounges
- Sound system
- Flat-screen televisions
- Floor-to-ceiling glazing
Outdoor & Pool
- Heated pool (heat pump)
- Sun loungers & terraces
- Covered outdoor dining
- Charcoal barbecue
- Mediterranean garden
Sports Pavilion
- Fitness room
- Table tennis & table football
- Snooker
- Basketball court
- Pickleball & volleyball
Included in your stay
A small set of touches to make your arrival effortless and the week feel made for you.
Sunset dinner
Complimentary three-course local-produce dinner — with seafood and charcoal-grilled fish — prepared by a private chef and served on the terrace.
Continental breakfast
Continental breakfast preparation each morning — fresh pastries, fruit, charcuterie and coffee, ready when you wake.
Regional wine basket
A curated welcome basket — a bottle from a Vicentine producer with tasting notes, and a locally distilled Medronho.
Cabanas Velhas beach
Four sun loungers and two sunshades reserved for you daily at the beach below the villa, subject to availability.
Half-day activity
One half-day on the water or the trail — SUP, surf, or cycling — booked through our concierge.
EV charging
Electric-vehicle charging included throughout your stay, subject to power management.
Included with directly booked stays of seven nights or more, June to September.
Where the wild Algarve begins
On the wild western edge of the Algarve, inside the Vicentine Coast Natural Park — a coastline of rugged cliffs, Atlantic surf and protected nature, with characterful fishing villages and the end-of-Europe drama of Sagres all a short drive away.
Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina
The wild south-western edge of Portugal, where the Atlantic meets continental Europe.
Casa do Forte sits inside the Vicentine Coast Natural Park — the largest coastal protected area in Europe, stretching almost a hundred kilometres from the Alentejo border down to Burgau in the Western Algarve, and a thin marine belt offshore. It is the only place in continental Europe where the cliffs face the full Atlantic.
Park · At a glanceWhat it is
Designated in 1995 (preceded by a 1988 protected-landscape regime), the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina — PNSACV — protects roughly 131,000 hectares of coast, cliffs, dunes, marshland, freshwater wetlands, river estuaries and a coastal strip of sea. The park spans two regions: Alentejo (concelhos of Sines, Odemira) and Algarve (Aljezur, Vila do Bispo) — meeting at Cape St Vincent, the south-west tip of continental Europe.
Also worth a detour inland: Carrapateira, the surf-and-cliff village at the edge of Praia do Amado and the wild west coast — and on through Aljezur to the northern reaches of the Natural Park.
Supermarkets within easy reach
Monthly country markets
A circuit of small open-air markets passes through the surrounding villages once a month — producers, cheese, honey, country baskets, and conversation.
On the water and the trail
Beaches of Vila do Bispo
From sheltered southern coves to the wild Atlantic surf beaches of the west coast, some of Portugal's most beautiful and unspoilt beaches lie within minutes of the house — beginning with Cabanas Velhas, directly below.
Beach guides: As praias de Vila do Bispo · Lifecooler · Algarve Beaches brochure · Visit Algarve (PDF)
Booking & practical details
Access to the property includes a short unpaved, winding stretch — a vehicle with good ground clearance is recommended. Energy is included in the rate (air conditioning, pool heating and EV charging, within available power). The villa enjoys a private setting without neighbours.
Get in touch
We would be delighted to help you plan a stay at Casa do Forte. Please email.
Email host@casadoforte.pt
Also listed with Le Collectionist
Licence 137510/AL