Azores, Portugal

The new luxury holiday home on Pico Island was restored from an old distillery that gives it its name and now enjoys a new life under innovative management.

Adega do Fogo operates as a five-star luxury holiday home, ideal for families or groups of friends who wish to enjoy the property in its entirety.

With a privileged view of the highest point in Portugal, it is located in the Cabrito area, within the Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. Now reborn with a new soul, it is the perfect retreat for those wishing to discover?or rediscover?the Azorean island, its traditions, its flavours, and its history.

The year 2021 marks the opening of Adega do Fogo, but the connection with this place began in 2017, when the owners decided to acquire the 3,500 m² plot where an abandoned seaside building had captured their attention. The energy of the location?where one feels transported 200 years back in time, perhaps due to the high walls that protect it from the outside world?made the decision inevitable.

They took a risk and purchased the abandoned manor with its decaying distillery, which they later discovered had once been one of the main producers of liqueurs and brandy in the island?s northern region.

In January 2020, the restoration works began, focusing primarily on the interiors, insulation, cladding, and landscaping of the outdoor areas. The original façade was fully preserved. The goal was to create a small boutique hotel by enhancing a building rich in history and transforming it into a place of extreme comfort?where one can savour heritage in a pleasurable way. The management aimed to revive a 40-year-old tradition from their early days of visiting Pico: welcoming guests with time, warmth, and comfort, and sharing with the world the very best of the Azores?a land they discovered and now call their own.

This holiday home was built within an old distillery on a private estate. The building, estimated to be around 200 years old, has been lovingly restored to preserve its traditions, offering guests a journey through the island?s history, flavours, and customs.

It features 6 bedrooms, 1 living room (former distillery), 1 dining room, 1 additional lounge, an infinity pool, a sauna, and a wood-fired oven with barbecue.

The sauna occupies a reclaimed corner of the original building, fully clad in cryptomeria wood, providing a true escape from the real world. Steam can be created using an old rainwater collection tank, and massages can be enjoyed in the comfort of the guest?s own room?because in this house, it always feels like home.

Inside the former factory building, a cozy living room connects seamlessly to a dining area and a fully equipped kitchenette. Guests can enjoy local dishes prepared by skilled local hands?or, if they prefer, cook their own meals, with housekeeping provided afterwards.

All rooms have access to the old balcony at the front of the main building, offering a magnificent view of the sea.

To give guests a broader taste of Pico?s cuisine and traditions, a wood-fired oven and barbecue were built in the wooded upper part of the property. Here, guests can grill fresh fish or learn to bake bolo de milho (cornbread), best enjoyed warm with artisanal fresh cheese.

The estate also contains an old tidal well, filled with brackish water at high tide?perfect for watering or washing freshly picked vegetables from the garden.

The heated infinity pool allows for relaxing private swims, particularly delightful after a refreshing dip in the ocean or a rejuvenating sauna session.