Casa Raphaela

Ground Floor

This floor has a light and airy open-plan living area with a living room, dining room and sitting room all joined by a central bar unit, and accessed through curving archways. The living room has two long, comfortable sofas and a coffee table, as well a wide set of glass patio doors to the rear, which lead out on to a balconied, covered terrace. To the side of the lounge is a cosy sitting room which is within the round, turret-like portion of the house. It has smooth, round walls and small, arched windows as well as an open fireplace, satellite television and a sofa. This room is a perfect retreat from the midday sun, here you can curl up on the cosy sofa with a good book. An archway joins this sitting room to the dining area, which has a contemporary glass table and chairs to seat six.

To the left of this living space is the fitted kitchen, with white units and a grey worktop with integral hob and sink. The kitchen is well-quipped with microwave and washing machine, and is large enough to accommodate a small breakfast table and chairs. Above the sink is a large window which looks out to the gardens and floods the room with natural light. Also on this ground floor are a cloakroom and one of the bedrooms. This is a double bedroom with its own en-suite shower room and doors leading out to a covered balcony terrace. Late at night, you could relax on this private balcony with a glass of wine and watch the sun sinking beneath the horizon.

Ground Floor

LOWER GROUND FLOOR - Stairs take you down to the lower ground floor where there is a flexible living area, which can also be an extra bedroom and contains a set of bunk beds to sleep two. There is also a table and chairs and sliding doors which lead out to the lower terrace and pool area. The second double bedroom and a separate shower room are found here.

First Floor

Stairs lead you to the first floor and the master bedroom with its own en-suite bathroom. This bedroom has a double water bed which the kids will be just as excited about as the adults who get to enjoy it. There is also access to the large expanse of roof terrace which has views stretching off into the distant pine woodlands. This terrace has an outside shower which could be handy for cooling off if you choose to sunbathe on the terrace. Late at night, you can lie on the terrace and gaze up at the stars in the inky sky.
There is a further twin bedroom on this floor.

Outside

The grounds of Casa Raphaela contain terraces on several different levels, all with the same terracotta tiles. The exterior walls appear a dazzling bright white in the Portuguese sun and are contrasted by leafy shrubs and flowering climbing plants plated around them. From the front of the house, a small area of lawn, inset with paving, leads down to the lower terrace with a barbecue and furniture for outdoor dining.
The sunken pool area is surrounded by balustrades and accessed by a set of steps leading down from the lower terrace. The rectangular pool has integral steps to lead you gradually into the cool water and a tiled terrace surrounding it. There is another small strip of lawn here, and a charming classical statue. In addition, there is a poolside shower which is useful for rinsing off any remaining grains of sand when you return from the beach.