Luxury 9-bedroom villa rental in the Algarve — for families, groups & celebrations
1,200 m² of interiors · 3 hectares of private grounds
Welcome to Vila Flamingo, a stunning private estate set in 3 hectares of private grounds planted with orange and olive trees, just 5 minutes from the beaches of Ferragudo. The villa offers 9 bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms and comfortable space for up to 20 adults and 2 children, a large private pool and generous indoor and outdoor entertaining areas — ideal for large families, groups, retreats and special occasions. Close to championship golf courses, water parks, boat trips and some of the Algarve's finest restaurants, it's the perfect base for an unforgettable stay.
Vila Flamingo runs almost entirely off-grid: electricity is produced by on-site solar panels with battery storage, and the estate has its own water supply — only the kitchens are connected to the municipal mains.
On-site solar panels power the whole estate.
Energy is stored for day-and-night independence.
The estate runs on its own water — only the kitchens use the town mains.
A closer look at Vila Flamingo, from the grounds and pool to the living spaces and bedrooms.
Browse the full gallery — click any photo to enlarge.
The walls of Vila Flamingo are home to original works by Catarina Olefir, a local artist based in Portimão (ArtdoSol). After a first career in medicine, she turned to painting, working in watercolour and fluid media to capture the shifting light and atmospheres of the Atlantic coast — landscapes suspended somewhere between reality and dream. Her canvases, chosen to echo the villa’s blues and its setting between sky, sea and countryside, give each room its own quiet mood.
Staying at Vila Flamingo is also a chance to meet the artist. Catarina welcomes guests for private painting lessons and studio sessions, whatever your level — a relaxed, creative way to spend an afternoon of your holiday and take home a piece of the Algarve you painted yourself.
Her works, on display throughout Vila Flamingo:
A private Algarve estate set in 3 hectares of grounds, just minutes from Ferragudo — for weddings, celebrations, corporate retreats and special events. With expansive gardens, a large pool and several versatile indoor and outdoor spaces, Vila Flamingo hosts gatherings of every kind — from intimate celebrations to large events for up to 600 guests — with on-site accommodation.
This is the story, in pictures, of the rebirth of Vila Flamingo — a nearly three-hectare estate in the heart of the Algarve, between Ferragudo and the Lagoa countryside. Season after season, façades, roofs, gardens and the pool were patiently restored, blending traditional Portuguese craftsmanship — azulejos, stone arches, a vaulted wine cellar — with the most contemporary comfort. From the earliest visits to the latest aerial photographs of July 2026, here is that transformation, year after year.
Originally, there was nothing here but a modest rural dwelling, surrounded by orchards of citrus, almond and carob trees. The land was bought by a Brazilian real-estate investor, who set out to turn it into a true manor house — never quite finishing it before bankruptcy caught up with him. Buried in debt, the owner abandoned the property, which then stood empty for nearly twenty years. Shortly before it was sold, it was flooded by heavy rain, vandalised and looted: the great unfinished building fell into decay as nature reclaimed the grounds. It was finally sold at judicial auction on 3 November 2021 — the beginning of its rebirth.
In its heyday, the estate housed a genuine private menagerie. At its centre, a very large pool was home to a colony of pink flamingos — which gave the villa its name. All around, in aviaries and enclosures, lived zebras, birds and rare animals, while the main living room held a saltwater aquarium of lobsters, crayfish and sea fish. The monumental pool could not be preserved, for planning reasons, and the cages have since disappeared — but the spirit of the place lives on in its name: Vila Flamingo.
Current planning regulations no longer allow a house of this size to be rebuilt on this plot: were it to disappear, it could never be rebuilt to the same scale under today’s legislation. It was this constraint that guided every decision — to preserve as many of the original elements as possible, rather than demolish and rebuild.
The transformation in five milestones — photographs to be added.
The shell left as it was, in raw concrete — the nearly three-hectare estate and the old oval pool, just as they were found.
Façades weathered by the years, whole gardens to be cleared, the old pool drained and cracked — then the long work of clearing and cleaning the grounds began.
The villa freshly whitened under the Algarve sun, the pergola’s frame under construction — the project takes shape.
The surroundings landscaped, the interior stone arches revealed — the pool and the estate, then and now.
Pool and landscaped gardens, the façade and its paved driveway — Vila Flamingo today.
Throughout the project, we sought to preserve the soul of the house wherever it could be kept: the azulejos in the entrances and kitchen, the stone fireplaces and door frames, the wooden doors and the built-in bedroom wardrobes were mostly preserved. The original wooden kitchen was kept too — it had such a distinctive character that it would have been a shame to tear it out. Some details still tell the singular story of the place: the front doors are said to have come from a bank in Portimão, as did the grilles that once protected certain windows, removed to let the light in.
Whatever the old house could not offer was entirely rethought: plumbing, wastewater drainage, water storage and electrics were all completely redone. Originally there was neither air conditioning nor heating — both are now installed throughout, alongside bathrooms and kitchens built to today’s highest standards. Rainwater is systematically collected to feed the property’s water tanks, with any surplus redirected to a well; on the electricity side, solar panels and batteries now provide close to 80% self-sufficiency in renewable energy.
The villa’s furnishings combine modern pieces with antique furniture, in a spirit that is both refined and warm. Most of these antique pieces are of French origin, adding a further European touch to this quintessentially Algarve home.
The garden, left wild for two decades, underwent a large-scale replanting as part of a resolutely ecological approach. Fruit trees — citrus, olive and almond — were replanted in a spirit of conservation, echoing the orchards that surrounded the property in its earliest days. The land also held tonnes of debris and waste of every kind, including plastics and asbestos-containing materials, all treated and recycled in accordance with current environmental regulations. The garden was entirely redesigned, as was the pool itself, reshaped to sit harmoniously within its new landscaped setting — making the property today a genuine green haven, respectful of its environment.
Among the rooms available, a vast basement can host a wedding banquet or serve as a fully equipped nightclub. The sheer scale of the property leaves room to do — and imagine — almost anything.
This extraordinary rebirth owes everything to a small, close-knit team whose dedication and skill, day after day, perfected a renovation as ambitious as it was remarkable. A house a little out of the ordinary, set within such a preserved corner of the Algarve, deserves to be shared and respected — we hope you will enjoy it to the fullest.
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Book on AirbnbVila Flamingo sits on one of the Algarve’s most beautiful stretches of coast, between Ferragudo and the Lagoa countryside. Some of the region’s — and Portugal’s — finest beaches are just minutes away, alongside a Michelin-starred table, hidden coves and a shoreline made for boat trips, snorkelling and long cliff-top walks. Photographs of the beaches to be added.
The closest beach to the villa — a sheltered stretch of golden sand just beyond the mouth of the Arade, with calm, crystal-clear Blue Flag water ideal for families, sea caves to explore and the Ponta do Altar lighthouse and its clifftop views close by.
Five minutes from the villa — a pristine golden-sand cove sheltered by dramatic limestone cliffs, with a small islet just offshore that shelters herons, gulls and cormorants. One of the most beautiful beaches on the coast.
Often listed among the most beautiful beaches in Portugal — and the world — with turquoise water, ochre cliffs and the iconic twin rock arches, a short drive along the coast.
Hidden coves near Carvoeiro, one reached through a tunnel cut into the rock, with clear, sheltered water that is ideal for snorkelling.
The Algarve’s famous sea cave, crowned by a natural skylight, best reached by boat, kayak or paddleboard from the neighbouring coves.
Calm, family-friendly sand along the Arade estuary at the foot of the whitewashed fishing village of Ferragudo, sheltered from the Atlantic swell.
A tiny, whitewashed clifftop chapel above Carvoeiro — one of the most photogenic spots on the coast, with sweeping views over the Atlantic.
Mass: Saturdays 5.30 pm in Portuguese, and an English-language Mass on the third Sunday of each month at 4 pm. Times may vary seasonally — please confirm locally.
A short drive away in Carvoeiro, Bon Bon has held a Michelin star since 2015 — refined, seasonal Algarve cuisine served on a terrace overlooking the Monchique hills. One of the region’s finest tables.
Visit bonbon.ptBeyond the beaches: championship golf courses, boat trips to the Benagil caves and along the cliffs, dolphin-watching, the whitewashed fishing village of Ferragudo, the historic town of Silves with its Moorish castle, and the cool green hills of Monchique — all within easy reach of the villa.
Perfectly positioned near Ferragudo, offering easy access to pristine beaches while keeping complete privacy and tranquillity.
For bookings, events and enquiries, contact our team.
