About us
Melides Bay
We are Jules and Wil Verweij. After our moving from a farm in Drenthe (the Netherlands) at the end of 2007, we are now pretty well established in Portugal.
We have chosen this area, the Alentejo, because we find it pretty wonderful here!
The silence, space and untouched nature that are present here ...
We have the most clear, starry skies at night ...
Several songbirds: nightingales which give their concerts in the dark, owls, the Hoopoe (Upepa Epops), white heron's ...
The sound of crickets follows you everywhere. Swallows, storks, even the pink flamingo has been breeding along the banks of the Tagus.
The griffon vulture belongs in this environment.
Griffon vulture
Black wild boar, deer, quail, rabbits and if you have lots of luck ... even the Iberian lynx is reported in this area! In the stream valleys, fed by natural springs, lives the marsh turtle, many species of fish and even the bright blue Icebird flies in and out!
Snakes such as the ringsnake, but also lizards and salamanders are present in large numbers.
For those who want to see and have an eye for this..... there is much to do and discover!
Springs in the valley
And then the climate. It's almost always sunny in the spring- and summer season. Portugal is the place with the most hours of sunshine (3161) per year!
During the summer it can be very hot here, but.... because we're on top of a mountain and so close to the ocean (± 6,5 miles), there's a cool wind coming up around noon that cool's it down. At night we always will have freshness from the ocean so we can sleep very well.
Of course we also get some rain in the autumn / winter period - fortunately!
However, the temperatures are mostly very pleasant and there is often the opportunity to dine quietly outside in (for example) the month December.
Our farm, 'Monte Várzea Redonda', which was built in 2001, has a borehole for our daily fresh water and a solar installation for all the electricity we need, so, we are self-sufficient.
A dish can receive all the TV channels, so we can watch whatever we like.
We also have animals: chickens, 2 horses, parrots and a cat. Furthermore, we have fruit trees and a garden to maintain.
We both find it fun to do things on the house by ourselves and are quite handy. One thing led to another ... And so Sonho Cabana arose.
Now we can offer other people a comfortable stay for their holidays and so they also can enjoy Portugal, as it is intended.
Monte Várzea Redonda
Are you interested by this story?
Do not hesitate and contact us for more information and / or your questions!
Wij spreken Nederlands.
Wir sprechen Deutsch.
We speak English.
Falamos Português.