Relva de Cima is situated at an altitude of 600m on the south side of Fóia mountain, the highest peak of the Sierra de Monchique mountain range 15 miles inland from the Algarve coastline. An unspoiled picturesque part of the Algarve that enjoys breathtaking views, irresistible local charm and excellent regional food. A three week holiday in 1993 travelling the length and breath of the Spanish and Portuguese coastline was enough to realise Monchique must be one of the most idyllic places the world has to offer. I fell in love. A month later I was the proud owner of a broken down vacated farm house – My retirement project! We moved from the bustle of Hong Kong and started the decade build in 2000. The property is surrounded by wild trees & land with an abundance of flora & fauna. A paradise for nature lovers, trekkers, conservationists & orienteers. Its remote roads and tracks offer a fantastic cycling and running environment. The garden started off as a front lawn but soon grew and grew as I couldn't resist developing it with my 25 year old digger !! Dry stone walls separate the different lawn tiers which replicate the traditional walls farmers used to section off their crops. The property itself was built around an existing old farm house constructed from granite and mud visible by the sheer thickness of the walls (up to 3 feet thick). Where possible, natural locally sourced materials were used hoping to create a timeless Algarvian environment. Being at an altitude of 600 meters, the sun can be very powerful during the day but offers cooler evenings and is that much fresher, and generally cooler than the coast, which can be very hot and muggy mid summer. Evenings can be spent sitting around the open outdoor fire and you have the advantage of cooler sleeping conditions. Many evenings have been spent simply star gazing, waiting for the shooting stars and spotting satellites moving across the crystal clear skies & listening to the crickets chirping happily in the background.
