Ombria - A piece of the ‘best country in the world’
Portugal’s plaudits keep piling up, giving people ever more reasons to make it their home. The most recent batch includes winner of the best country for remote workers (a Kayak survey) and the best in Europe for active retirement (International Living). Its Golden Visa has been named the world’s best residence programme by Henley & Partners and – there’s no topping this one – Conde Nast Traveller has crowned Portugal the best country in the world, full stop.
Many Brits, northern Europeans and, indeed, people from all over the world are taking all this on board and seeking a new life – or at least an occasional home – in Portugal. Since Brexit, there has been a surge in applications for Golden Visas among UK-based buyers. And since Covid, buyers everywhere have gone in search of green space. Another obstacle, since January 1 this year, are the new Golden Visa rules, which disqualify most of the coast in order to redirect investment into the countryside.
There are hurdles, no doubt. But whether it’s great foresight or just fortuitous timing, it’s all playing perfectly into the hands of the rural, lowdensity Ombria Resort, which has set out to do things differently to everyone else.
Located 20 minutes’ drive inland from the stunning beaches that skirt Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo, Ombria Resort is tucked away in a verdant valley with its five-star Viceroy hotel designed as a cluster of low-rise whitewashed buildings to emulate a typical Algarve village. Besides the amenities you would expect from a luxury resort, including a 1,600m2 spa and six restaurants, woven among its 150 hectares are a golf course, hiking trails and cycling paths, plus, in time, high-end villas designed to blend into the hills.
It’s this connection with nature, says sales director João Costa, which is drawing buyers to house-hunt inland. “We’re not a closed-off development with barriers to get in and out. We’re set in huge green spaces, and the cherry on top is our sustainability philosophy. I’d say 90% of people buy here because of that.”
He highlights some of the eco features. The golf course has 30% less planting than other courses, with the rest left wild. And the hotel is largely powered by a geo-thermal system that produces limitless, clean energy without CO2 emissions or unsightly solar panels or wind turbines. “It’s still a rare form of renewable energy in Portugal, unlike in Germany and France, and I don’t know why it’s not used more. Even though we are connected to the grid, we won’t need to access it for much of the time,” Costa adds.
Along with buying into a more sustainable lifestyle, people need to know the investment stacks up too.
Along with buying into a more sustainable lifestyle, people need to know the investment stacks up too, of course. Currently on sale are 65 one and two-bed Viceroy-branded residences due for completion in Spring 2023. They start at a shade under €600,000 and qualify for the Golden Visa investment. As touristic apartments, owners get 70 days annual use of their property and receive up to 5% rental income for the first five years (and, when the resort is fully up and running, it’s expected at least that level of return afterwards). “The benefit for owners is that they are fully managed, there are no maintenance issues and you get a guaranteed rental yield,” says Costa.
Also available are highend Alcedo Villas, priced from €2.75m and with no restrictions on usage, and coming soon are apartments, townhouses and semi-detached villas for ‘lifestyle buyers’ i.e. not pure investors – starting around the €500,000 residency visa threshold. “Luckily, we’re both a low-density and an interior resort, so all our properties are eligible for the Golden Visa,” says Costa.
For those who want a home in the Algarve and get a Golden Visa, Ombria is a rare opportunity. But it’s more than that; it’s underpinned by an ethos its buyers identify with. Ombria’s connection to its surroundings includes helping the local community too, including by sponsoring sports clubs and supporting the elderly. “Sustainability isn’t just about the environment and certification, it’s also about being part of the local community and giving back to local projects,” says Costa. “We’re doing our bit, and we feel that’s the right way of doing things.”
For more information: T +351 289413901 W ombria.com E sales@ombria.com
Sustainability isn’t just about the environment and certif ication, it’s also about being part of the local community and giving back to local projects.