Casa Mae

Portugal is not shy of creative output and the Algarve’s Casa Mae is a hidden gem.

Grown from one white casa, it now has three buildings all forming the complete Casa Mae spirit. The ultimate in experience destinations, this one has creative workshops, cooking classes (including getting to know the onsite vegetable patch), yoga classes and massage engrained within its DNA.

Food at Casa Mae is very good - and the people warm. Locally sourced and homegrown is not so much of a trendy gimmick at Casa Mae but a way of life. Green veg is a source of pride and joy here, in fact one of the chefs proudly professes that his passion is vegetables. The breakfast menu is heavy in kale, spinach and avocado, but positioned alongside the classic pastel de nata.

The simple and frankly obvious approach to eco wellness doesn’t stop in the breakfast room. Plastic is nowhere to be found in the bathrooms. Bath oils and shampoos are made on site and cased in lush ceramics. It made me wonder why any hotel has little plastic shampoo bottles in their bathrooms at all. Especially (as I would find later at our final hotel, mini shampoo bottles from London based Molton Brown) - felt a bit odd in comparison.

Read the full article over at Yolk’s magazine, Yolklore