Summer is here, and with it the first scent of a holiday.
And who does not like taking a few days to rest and disconnect from the rush of work?
We love it around here, always with our dear planet in mind.
So today I want to share a list of eight hotels I would recommend for their sustainable practices.
1, Rio do Prado
Rio do Prado is one of the places I have already had the pleasure of visiting.
If you are looking for somewhere kind to the environment, here is my suggestion. It is a space entirely integrated into the landscape, with a whole series of measures in the name of sustainable development.
One of the most interesting parts of the visit was realising I had watched this place come into being. As a child I always came to this area in the summer holidays, and arriving, I found I was completely at home.
Rio do Prado, in Arelho, Óbidos, is an ecologically designed property in quiet surroundings, offering low-energy luxury suites with wall-sized windows looking onto a remarkable garden. There is a great deal of green, and lakes, for a long walk in nature.
Their own site puts it this way: “more than a tourism development, this hotel positions itself nationally and internationally on an extremely strong commitment to sustainability. What differentiates the concept is the integration of a wide range of ecological measures into everyday running.” The brand also describes itself as an ecological centre in permanent innovation, with a strong educational and cultural dimension.
Beyond the green spaces, there is access to a Gulbenkian library and locally made furniture, along with the restaurant “Maria Batata”. The tables in that restaurant were built on site from waste wood, another small large detail that reinforces the sustainability this hotel is aiming at.
On top of everything already described, the hotel works along seven axes of sustainability: energy, water, waste, mobility, environmental awareness, eco-design and low-carbon agriculture. You can read about each of them in detail here.
If you are ready for a visit to Rio do Prado, there is more here.
2, Herdade da Malhadinha Nova
This place is a dream come true. Herdade da Malhadinha Nova sits in Beja, in the heart of the Baixo Alentejo, set into the roughly 450 hectares of the estate.
Respect for the environment and environmental sustainability have been non-negotiable values for them from the very beginning.
Olive oil, honey and other produce are made here, keeping Alentejo traditions alive. It was also here that I learned it is possible to make wine that is entirely organic. Did you know that?
The estate is part of the Alentejo Wines Sustainability Programme, which exists to put sustainable practices into winemaking. More here.
“A different and distinctive place. To be felt, lived and shared. More than a fairy tale, it is a reality that goes well beyond the imagination.” That is one of the descriptions on the brand’s site, and I agree there are no better words for the place.
If you are keen to see it, everything is here.
3, L’AND Vineyards
L’AND Vineyards is another sustainable option in the heart of the Alentejo, in one of the best wine regions in the world, with unspoilt beaches and an enormous landscape of oaks, olive groves, orange orchards and ruins.
There are 30 suites and villas combining modern architecture with the landscape. There are also the distinctive Sky Suites, with ceilings that open so you can sleep under the stars. Just imagining it (leaving the rush of the city for the countryside and sleeping under the stars), is enough on its own, is it not?
The place is also known for its restrained luxury, its natural beauty and its quiet.
For the full experience there is a restaurant and a spa, both unmissable.
At the restaurant you can have a Portuguese gastronomic experience built on the region’s own produce, from the land and from the sea. Most of what is cooked is produced within a short radius, which strengthens the local economy and guarantees fresh, good ingredients, while making sustainability part of how the restaurant runs day to day.
The vinotherapy spa uses natural ingredients extracted from the grape, for a moment of relaxation and renewal. And let us not forget: here you get to sleep under the stars.
Want to know more? It is all on this page.
4, Conversas de Alpendre
Conversas de Alpendre is surrounded by remarkable natural places: the Ria Formosa Natural Park, the Mata da Conceição, the bird observatory at the Castro Marim Salt Marsh Nature Reserve, and the natural spa of the Castro Marim salt pans. You have worked out we are talking about our beloved Algarve, of course.
This is a compulsory stop for anyone who likes a genuine conversation. It is the new kind of rural tourism, the place to feel truly at home, and among family.
There is plenty to do so you can make the most of every moment: a heated pool, massage, the beach, golf and other activities.
Guests’ accounts say of the breakfast that “everything was excellent, everything was fresh, everything was made that day”, which reinforces how much care goes into using local, fresh produce.
They won the Travel & Hospitality award in 2021, which confirms the exceptional service they offer.
I have not yet had the chance to visit this idyllic place, but I am keen to. And you? More here.
5, Cucumbi
Cucumbi is an excellent option for anyone who loves the Alentejo.
It is ideal for anyone who wants a few restful days surrounded by nature, and equally good for anyone who likes staying busy and picking up new things. The grounds offer no end of options: a pool looking out over the Alentejo fields, a games room, a lake where you can learn to fish or put your fishing to work, a trail of around 5 km around the estate for walking or cycling, and birdwatching spots where you can get to know the local biodiversity.
Cucumbi also has a Casa do Lago, where they run various workshops, and a local shop selling physical memories of the place.
More than talking about these places’ sustainable practices, my aim is to point you towards good options for your holidays, and for that, nothing beats a genuine comment from one of their guests: “What a truly glorious place. Cucumbi is a family-run hotel set among orange groves in the most glorious rolling landscape of the Alentejo. We could not have been better looked after and the food was sensational. All home-grown produce and impressive vegetable gardens. The latter are an ongoing project in sustainable excellence, and a visit to see how it all works is a revelation for growers of any standard or scale. The family went out of their way to make us feel welcome and thoroughly looked after, and nothing was too much to ask. Cucumbi’s success lies in the passion and generosity of spirit that informs every level of how it is run, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.”, on Tripadvisor.
It is a lovely thing to see more and more projects with this kind of care in how they look after people. I am keen to visit.
6, Hotel Areias do Seixo
This hotel is in Santa Cruz, and it makes for a magical, romantic stay, for couples above all.
Here every detail matters and every detail is considered. Breakfast is a buffet built on regional produce and produce from their own garden, with fresh juices, fresh fruit and a good deal more. From the photographs, all of it looks excellent.
Alongside that freshness and the buying of regional produce, what stands out at Areias do Seixo is the care for the environment: an outdoor pool heated by solar panels from April to September, charging points for electric vehicles, and bicycles available on every stay for anyone who would rather get about that way.
If you want to know more about Hotel Areias do Seixo and what it offers its guests, look here.
7 (Vale da Lama
The Vale da Lama farm, in Lagos, has regenerative agriculture as one of its central missions), making sure the soil is being regenerated rather than exhausted.
That is only one of their larger aims. They have built a community here around protecting and respecting the environment. There is a farm shop, wild foods, a vegetable garden and other projects besides. More here.
They work constantly at being a good example of sustainability and ecology, and they run entirely on solar power.
They say they always commit to the best decision towards more sustainable options, from the kind of sugar at breakfast through to how the place is furnished.
On their site there is a question I identified with, and one I would strongly recommend each of us keeps in mind: “Sustainability is not about being perfect; it is about asking the question, is this good for nature, for the community, and for myself?”
I could not agree more. If you want to know more about the place, click here.
8 (Furnas Lake Forest Living
Furnas Lake Forest Living, in the Azores, welcomes you), as the name suggests, to the modern forest. If you want an experience immersed in nature with all the comfort of present-day rustic luxury, this is the place.
All of which makes clear that sustainability and respect for the environment are among their core values.
There are plenty of ways to fill your days with new and enriching things: a visit to the lake, meeting the bees, horse riding, painting and ceramics workshops, yoga retreats, among others.
The place has a vegetable garden that supplies the restaurant on site, once again, protecting and valuing local produce.
You can find everything about it here.
If you have visited any of these places, tell me what you made of them. And if you have not, but want to go somewhere sustainable like these, here is your chance to use this article as your next bit of inspiration.
And if you know other good examples of sustainable hotels and places, tell me about those too.
