Maria was born in Belgium and grew up to be a person of the world. She has seen just about everything, but always wants to know more: people, countries, tales. For her, cultures never clash: they complete each other. She has learnt it in the best of ways: by flying straight from Brussels to the Alentejan coast. And there she was bitten by the country bug, and quickly fell in love with the quiet, slow-paced life in Alentejo. With a degree in hotel management, her biggest passion is to be a hostess. Her arms are constantly open to welcome the people she hosts, and her strong will is always ready to take her to wherever her restlessness summons her.
Bernardo is more easy-going by nature. He spent his childhood in Sintra, and will always be a Sintran at heart. Surrounded by a lush green landscape and friends who are practically family, that’s where he planted his roots. It is in the peaceful stillness of the countryside that he finds himself and wants to remain.
One lucky day when the stars were in the right alignment, these two met. A friend introduced them, their mutual love of country-living joined them for better and for… better yet. They married their wills and their dreams, packed them all in one single bundle and together they moved to Alcácer do Sal. Later on, the two became three, and three became four. The tale goes on, and Benedita and Benjamim are growing up in that immense free space provided by the estate.
For those who feel a full house is synonym to a fuller life, then welcoming people and making them feel like family is no doubt a priority. And that is how Maria and Bernardo opened the doors to their family house and turned it into a space ready to take in quite a few others.
The Casas da Horta are therefore custom-made for people and built on the base of family values. The charm of this place sprouts from its very inhabitants.
