Nestled in the Odelouca-Dobra Valley and being the last two houses on the country lane.This unique property offers peace, tranquility, and second-to-none privacy.Uninterrupted views of the surrounding hills are seasonally ever-changing with carpets of miniature wildflowers such as snowdrops; wild iris (Iris Sisyrinchium); asphodels; tiny hyacinths (Muscari atlanticum Boiss); French lavender (Lavandula stoechas); rock-rose (Cistus landifer); medronho bushes (Arbutus unedo) and cork trees (Quercus suber).Wildlife includes a resident Grey Heron; a pair of nesting little owls (Athene noctua); hoopoes; nightingales; foxes and wild boar (Javali). An added bonus is the night sky, which is truly magnificent due to zero light pollution.Fresh water for the property comes from a spring well located near Malembe Malembe.Guttering on both houses serves to channel rainwater into three underground cisterns (tanks), situated at Arizanga, these tanks are topped up with water pumped from the spring well regularly.There is a further storage tank at Arizanga, high on the hill above the house, serving Arizanga with amazing gravitational water pressure.Both gardens are ‘water-wise’: hosting plants that need a minimum amount of care and irrigation. Grey water only from the showers is used to supplement watering in the summer months.Solar panels heat the water for use in both houses year-round. In the cooler months, wood-burning fires, connected to back boilers, feed hot water into radiators placed strategically throughout. There are also air conditioners for both heating and cooling in all living areas of both houses.The property has a magnificent small dam dotted with water lilies and bull rushes, located near the boundary beyond Arizanga. It teams with wildlife such as frogs, dragonflies, and the occasional wild duck. Part of it could be turned into a natural swimming pond.ARIZANGA, named after a small bay in Mussulo, Angola, is based on the style of a traditional Algarvean farmhouse with hand-made Santa Catarina floor tiles throughout.It comprises two bedrooms, both with built-in wardrobes; two complete bathrooms, one being en-suite with a bath. A large open dining/living area with a small, cozy nook off the lounge. A laundry, a pantry, and an ample kitchen with access to a patio equipped for dining, with a pizza/bread oven and BBQ. In summer this area is covered by the most beautiful creepers, one being a deep, purple wisteria, the other, a multicolored, fragrant, Quisqualis Indica commonly known as Rangoon creeper.Also accessed through the kitchen is a large back room which can be used for storage, inside games, and extra accommodation. And a further storage area housing all the hot water tanks and mini-pumps for the central heating system.There is a free-standing studio which comprises of a bathroom with shower, a large open plan room with a kitchenette and this could be used as an office, for extra accommodation, or as a craft room.A cold water jacuzzi is found on the front patio with stunning views of the surrounding hills. All windows are fitted with fly/mosquito screens.MALEMBE MALEMBE, (an Imbundu word from Angola, meaning slowly, slowly) is positioned at the entrance to the property, it is a quirky house that boasts a large, open-plan, living area with a fitted kitchen, topped with Angolan black slate. A sunny bathroom with a large walk-in shower. A small, spare bedroom or office and a large pantry. Upstairs is a very large bedroom with panoramic views of the hills, a small WC with a wash basin, and a private patio.The patio downstairs faces a small garden comprising old olive trees, carob trees, and a rockery, the perfect place for outside entertaining and BBQs with a wide vista of the surrounding countryside.In short, this property is surely a veritable paradise.
