LUIS & RUBANA, OWNERS BEHIND THE VILLA

Hey everyone. We’re the couple behind this wonderful, contemporary-boutique holiday villa.

The story of this villa started when we decided that we wanted to retire in Portugal where we have been spending most of our summer holidays ever since we got married.

I, Luis, have been always attached to the rural life and my roots have always been in Portugal, in the village near Leiria. Now that we knew we wanted to settle one day in Portugal, we had to choose where we were going to build the villa. the choice became clear when my father offered to help by offering land which he had inherited. The location was where my father’s grandparents had lived, with ruins testifying to their legacy. The land is on a low slope, with access to it from a small road both at the top and at the bottom of the land. There are 5 mature olive trees and ruins which i wanted to keep to remind us of my great grandparents heritage.

Thus the choice of the location was simple. the land my dad offered me was exactly what we wanted.

At the time, we were living in Saudi Arabia, so I had to find someone to manage the construction on my behalf.

All of the people were local connections, from the Architect who was my neighbour since childhood, to the manager. We also wanted to use local materials and the vision was to build a contemporary house, sourcing local stones, from Porto de Mos, near Batalha, marble which was locally cut and all the wood beam structure build locally.

After 6 years, patiently coming every summer to see the progress and longing for the day we’d finally be able to live there, we returned back from Saudi Arabia, just before the COVID pandemic hit the world. By then, the villa was completed, but we still couldn’t go there as we were living in the UK, until finally, we were able to start spending family time, decorate and furnish the Villa to transform it into Villa Nour.

To book your stay or for any related inquiries, contact me by email.

villanourportugal@gmail.com