Casa Céu
OLHÃO / GUESTHOUSE / WATCHLIST
A small & refined four-bedroom retreat originally built in 1924, Casa Céu has been recovered in keeping with the typical cubist fishing houses of its hometown, Olhão. A small-scale boutique hotel where intimate & tasteful design is blended with exceedingly personal hospitality & romantic authenticity. Italian owners Lara & Dinis were inspired by the Moorish heritage of Portugal & the interiors are simple yet tastefully decorated with beautiful furniture, ceramics, straw lamps, terracotta pots, glassware, carpets, cacti & plants.
The inviting roof terrace & honesty bar are the centre of the home, dedicated to moments that promise to be an incredible visual spectacle, combining the city’s white houses & the intoxicating colours that wash over them as the sunsets. Dinner is served up here too, lovingly prepared by Lara who is a fantastic chef & an ingredients fanatic. She sources everything from the nearby market, so don’t leave without trying her cataplana, a local seafood stew finished off with her carob cake made in her collection of Kilner jars.
Images by Renee Rae for Casa Ceu
Room Service
Location: Olhão, Algarve
Price: Suites start from 120€ per night.
Highlights: The personal service at Casa Céu will leave you coming back again & again, feeling like returning to friends each year.
Our favourite room: There are only four, so on each return to Casa Céu, try a different one.
Services: Daily turndown along with breakfast served on the terrace. Dinner is also provided on request for an additional cost, all prepared lovingly with ingredients from the local market & cooked by Lara.
Designed by The owners Lara & Dinis renovated the property themselves.
Photography by Renee Rae for Casa Céu.
The Neighbourhood: Set on the edge of Olhão’s labyrinth of cubist & cobbled streets, this little guesthouse is a walk away from the marina where boats leave regularly for the deserted islands of the Eastern Algarve. Spend Saturday getting lost in the market, before lunch & a glass of local wine at one of the local tascas on the water.
The Map
Casa Céu is located in the fishing town of Olhão, around a fifteen minute drive from Faro. Fly to Faro & rent a little car to take a road trip while finding some freedom while you’re there.
Download the Design Escapes Directory for local recommendations & to ensure you don’t miss out on any spots on your journey.