Where about now? The answer is: Casa WAN
As some of you have already noticed, I've been traveling since the end of last year and have had the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at some of our Good Travel accommodations. This time I'm after it South Tyrol and the Switzerland ended up in the southwest of Portugal. As is often the case when I'm thinking about the next place I could go, I do some research and ask myself the central question "Where About Now?", where are I going next? This time the choice fell on the Algarve and a very special accommodation: the Casa WAN.
This was the best decision I could have made for the beginning of November. Mild 18 to 20 degrees, sunshine and frenetic waves. Host Nadja von Buseck put together an exciting program for me to get to know Casa WAN as well as the area and introduced me directly to her friends and acquaintances on site. Because what they all have in common: They fell in love with the small town of Aljezur and the surrounding area and stayed to realize themselves, whereby the main aim is to bring out their artistic talents and use them for the region.
The Casa WAN It has been available in this form as a holiday home since 2021. Nadja discovered the area by chance some time before. Looking for the best waves and a place that would allow her to relax, she felt so comfortable here from the start that she quickly felt the desire to primarily do art in rural areas paired with hospitality, both for herself and for herself To give guests a nice place to stay for a while. The result is an intimate holiday home that can accommodate up to six people. Twice a year, Nadja offers artists a stay in order to pursue the professions they are passionate about and then be able to present them. The artist residencies combine regional materials, individual impressions and talents and the existing art landscape of Aljezur and the surrounding area.
Casa WAN is made up of the acronym “Where About Now” together and forms the basic framework of Nadja's work, in which her roots from the hotel industry come together with the component of art, and here she always builds a bridge between guests and the art world - I was able to be a part of it myself!
Freedom, surrounded by wild nature and the sound of the sea
Landed in Faro, I drove a good hour and a half northwest in a rental car and reached the beautiful Casa WAN in Vale de Telha. Arrive, take a deep breath and be amazed. The many different green and earth tones and the water of the lake. Simply wonderful: no direct neighboring houses, and only very rarely does a car drive past, but you can't get enough of it: birdsong, the peace and quiet of nature and a 360-degree view of the beautiful and at the same time rugged Atlantic coast - from sunrise to sunset . And I found it very impressive that you can listen to the sound of the sea. This is a great way to start your day right away!
A cozy atmosphere also permeates the interior, surrounded by the scent of incense sticks, the curated vintage furniture from Portugal is well placed and forms a great symbiosis with new elements such as sustainable beds from COCO-MAT. The open living room and the shared kitchen with old tiles and pink walls, as well as matching ceramic tableware, which is also made in Portugal, invite you to relax, cook and enjoy. There are a handful of different seating and lying areas around the house, which offer a great opportunity to simply take a seat, be, calm down and reflect on whatever the sun is in.
Aljezur: crafts, surfing, spirituality and more
A hotspot has emerged around the small town of Aljezur for everyone who wants to spend a relaxed and/or active nature holiday. The beaches of Arrifana and Monte Clerigo are just a few minutes' drive away and not only offer surfers a lot of fun: from watching the waves to long walks on the beach. Here thoughts come and go in the rhythm of the waves.
On my first evening I was delicious Oh Sargo (great fusion between Asian and regional) and met one of the first spiritual people in the place, an aura reader who emigrated to Aljezur in the 1980s. Since then, many have followed suit and filled the area with more and more life, as well as more and more spiritual practices and contact points. I saw people meditating on the beach, practicing yoga or Qi Gong and of course numerous surfers enjoying the waves. In between you can enjoy local food, fresh fish and crunchy vegetables.
Aljezur offers an urban structure despite the small town feeling, so no one will stop for their oat cappuccino or a matcha latte (definitely in the café KOYO stop by) and at the same time you don't have the feeling of missing something because of the little that there is to discover - "little" compared to a big city like Berlin - simply more balanced, calmer, more relaxed and able to concentrate on yourself. On Saturdays everyone meets at the weekly market and supplies themselves with fresh, seasonal and regional products. Wonderful to equip yourself for Casa WAN and enjoy delicious food every day.
Traditional basket weaving techniques in Atelier Balance
Since 2020, Ysaline Ophoff has been bringing... Atelier Balance to express what has moved her for years: craftsmanship and basket weaving techniques. Born in Belgium, she first studied architecture before moving to the Brazilian Amazon. There she immersed herself in traditional basket weaving techniques and today wants to enhance and preserve the intangible cultural heritage through her loving work - in Aljezur. The various sculptural products that emerge are a collection of baskets, lampshades and vases. They are created from found materials such as natural fibers or discarded fabrics or ropes as well as Ysaline's creativity. Yseline can also be found in the vintage shop RetroActivo where she helps out. There you will find well-selected clothing for women and men as well as pieces of furniture on two floors.
On a visit to Casa Mãe in Lagos
If you want to take a little trip, go to Lagos and enjoy it there mother house Special. The five-star hotel in the heart of the city is a calm and regenerative oasis that, in addition to rooms, has its own restaurant. Here comes this Farm-to-table principle for use. Much of the fruit and vegetables that end up on the plates come from the 6.000 square meter garden and the eggs from the 200 own chickens. A spacious concept store rounds off the offering, where (sustainable) fashion, jewelry and lifestyle labels can be discovered.
How regional messages are conveyed via different media
Vera Abreu and Carlos Santos are a true artist duo who have been working with film and art for several decades. Although both are artistically active, they each pursue different disciplines and still share a common love of nature and local stories. They came to the south of Portugal in the 1980s and discovered their passion for creativity.
Carlos works with wood and other materials that he finds on the coast and uses them to create special kind of sculptures. Each one tells its own story or embodies a figure, such as Martin Heidegger or Ludwig Wittgenstein. He is also working on a canvas series of eight pictures that show as few forms and complexity as possible. He plays with shapes and colors. Carlos wants to convey what the Portuguese word “Rasgão” best expresses, a tearing apart of what is needed in order to be able to see the essential. Carlos' studio in the old town of Aljezur is definitely worth a visit.
Vera is a thrilling woman full of enthusiasm and creative spirit. She created Movie, which, for example, introduce the fishing settlement in the Bay of Arrifana and the first fishermen and show how life there has changed due to tourism - with all the advantages and disadvantages that change brings with it. The latest project from her film collective Avonde are short films that deal with the topic of water. Fresh water is also scarce in Portugal and proper stewardship is required. The provocative short film shows a woman washing herself sparingly with little water while the well-kept lawn of a golf course around her is being watered.
An artistic evening in the Nova Nova Gallery
Nadja and I were part of a special event called “ORLA” in the Nova Nova Gallery in Odeceixe, which combined an artistic and gastronomic journey along the Vicentine Coast. The gallery owner Gregor Marter gathered this evening in collaboration with itinerART next to the exhibiting Portuguese artist Afonso Arenga Matias, the chef and food artist Maria Gonzalez as well as guests sitting at two tables. The five-course menu served consisted of Maria's own creation, with each dish reflecting the artist and his works made of ground metal plates that reflect the famous rocks of the Western Algarve. This resulted in combinations such as nori seaweed butter that was flambéed, an empanada made of filo dough that was reinterpreted for the Algarve and, in a vegetarian version, filled with pumpkin and hazelnut pate. One of the guests, an older, neat lady from the village, spontaneously sang Fado, giving the evening a perfect ending to everything that was already wonderful. Guests at Casa WAN can also hire Maria Gonzalez for an evening where she cooks for everyone.
Seasonal floral art by Laura Hurst
I was allowed to use the studio of Laura Hurst visit, a florist and farmer. To be honest, these job descriptions don't come close to what Laura actually does. For me it is pure art. Temporary art, because the flowers don't last forever, even if Laura consciously chose dried flowers. The American-born artist ended up in Portugal and so did her love for flowers and shrubs of all kinds. Previously, she installed floral designs for events in New York, among other places. In Portugal she discovered that not only do the seasons work differently and so do the way flowers grow, but also that there are completely different types of flowers there. Laura loves the different seasons and the corresponding flora that she can attract to her projects. Laura's seasonal, unique and elegantly beautiful bouquets Made from dried (wild) flowers, guests of Aljezur as well as hotels and restaurants can purchase them and enjoy the aesthetics and philosophy behind them every time they see them.
For me, Aljezur is a fabulous place to combine nature activities with art and sustainability. A magical place to come to yourself and get involved in various encounters by specifically visiting the featured creatives or simply getting involved in what is happening. Hopefully it won't be the last time I visit Casa WAN and I can only recommend that everyone stop by Nadja's, stay for a few days and make themselves comfortable in a sunny spot on the terrace.
© Photos: Cecile Meier
Cecile Meier
Cécile is a freelance author and sustainability strategist. She enjoys traveling to the fullest: getting to know different cultures, listening to other languages and discovering new things either by the sea or in a (big) city always fascinates her. The stories and intentions of the Good Travel hosts are particularly important to her.
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