A new tourism project is being born next to Pessegueiro Island, in Porto Covo, with the opening of the first nine rooms of Casas da Ilha. The development occupies a property of about 30 hectares at the site of Fonte de Mouro, about 800 meters from Pessegueiro Island Beach, located in the heart of the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park.
The project results from the recovery of the former Herdade Casas Novas da Ilha, which remained in the same family for more than six generations. The intervention sought to recover the rural heritage of the property, including structures such as the bread oven, the chicken coop, the cowshed, the hayloft, the winery and the olive press. Agricultural activity continues, with vineyards, century-old olive groves, agricultural fields, water features and livestock farming with more than 150 cows and calves.
The accommodation is one of the components of the Casas da Ilha Cultural and Regenerative Park, which combines tourism, agriculture, artistic creation and environmental valorization. The project includes a gallery dedicated to art and sustainability, common areas, restaurant services and cultural programming such as exhibitions, workshops and gastronomic experiences. During the summer, the exhibition "Waste 2 Arte" by Nuno Antunes is on display, developed from waste collected on the beaches of the Vicentine Coast, as part of the Sines World Music Festival, running until September 19.
The project development had the support of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) and the Municipality of Sines. The model stands out for its choice not to convert the entire property into an exclusively tourist area, associating the accommodation offer with the continuation of rural activity and the cultural and environmental components.
