The passion
A serious love affair with the Algarve.
Our story
What do we look for when we travel? The freshness of discovering, the unknown, some strong emotions, surely. But even the most restless souls often seek a sense of immense peace, fullness, and finally being in tune with the world.
When we discover a refuge where this harmony is achieved, this is where we want to stay. To live. To meditate. To enjoy the moment. The story of Lux Mare begins precisely when a Norwegian couple starts an unceasing quest for charm and dazzle during their trips through Portugal for several decades.
Both being free-spirited, passionate about outdoor activities, the wild nature and the vast blue sea, the narrative of this love grew, until it found a reflection in the idyllic waters that bathe the Algarve.
Lux Mare emerges from a very strong emotional relationship with the Portuguese and, in particular, with the people of the Algarve, with its cultural heritage, natural beauty, arts and gastronomy. It is this full and privileged way to get to know the Algarve that the hosts now wish to share with you.
Because living the dream is possible.
The villas
Doors open towards the sea.
L&M
Two dreams realised. Two brushstrokes of genius on a blank canvas. Two bodies in the throes of a delicate dance in nature. Two inspiring villas.
United by an invisible desire to plunge into the deep and breath-taking blue of the Atlantic Ocean, Casa L and Casa M accompany the natural movement of the slope, becoming an integral part of the landscape. The green and the blue are entangled in an infinite embrace.
In a silent dance, like two complementary albeit separate continents, the Lux Mare villas are located in a prime location of the city of Lagos, with direct access to the charming and peaceful beach known as Praia do Canavial.
With a unique design and top quality finishings each villa reveals a harmony and personality very much its own, in which multiple emotions, dreams and radiances can exist. Light is an absolutely predominant element throughout the whole day, perfectly combined with noble materials, traces of Nordic inspiration and, inevitably, with the soul of the Algarve itself. Handcrafts and cultural expressions from the region are skilfully fitted into the décor, bringing more life to the rooms, making them cosier and closer to the local community.
L and M, two pieces of a puzzle which, as a whole, reveal a painting of elegance, simplicity and plenitude with the surrounding natural environment.
Casa L
It is like a piece of magic, where nothing has been left to chance, where every detail makes sense and good taste invades our senses. With two brightly illuminated floors, Casa L invites us to experience hospitality linking sustainable architecture to the most advanced technology in a very singular fashion.
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Casa M
It is in this haven of breathtaking views over the Atlantic that one feels the happy mix between the Nordic and Portuguese styles. Inspired by the Nordic design and the typical wooden buildings, the M House surprises us with a perfect combination of pine paneling, open spaces and light colors, in perfect harmony with the surrounding nature tones.
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Services & packages
Realising your dream is possible.
We’ll tell you how.
Having the peace to be able to appreciate the simplicity of every moment and only worry about when we can go up to the terrace and watch the stars is the greatest luxury we can give ourselves.
Lux Mare provides moments of perfection with its excellent services and comforts that make us feel at home while we discover all the emotions and beauty around us.
What we have to offer you
Our inclusive services start on arrival with a warm welcome and introduction to the villa by our local team. On your arrival there will be a Luxury Welcome Pack including complementary gourmet coffee, teas and other luxury food and drink items.
Our local villa managers provide a professional guest service and a concierge will be assigned to you. This service will assist with reservations, airport transfers, appointments with service providers such as personal trainers, masseuse for a poolside treatment, chauffeur etc. A full list of the services will be available on arrival at the villa. The Concierge service is available 7 days a week (09:00 - 20:00h).
Since we would like you to enjoy complete relaxation on your holiday at Lux Mare we provide a total break from your normal home routine by including daily housekeeping visits (6 days per week). This non-intrusive service, provided by a dedicated housekeeping team, includes daily tidying up, taking out garbage, changing linen (every 4 days), replacing towels, as well as replenishing luxury brand toiletries etc.
Bath robes & slippers will be available for use during your stay. (Washing, drying, and ironing facilities are also at the disposal of guests).
There are separate towels for use around the pool or if you decide to head to the beach close by. Guests benefit from free Wi-Fi and for those with a need for a work space there is a dedicated private space which allows you to complete business tasks, such as sending emails and taking private calls without disturbing or being disturbed by other guests who are staying in the property.
Guests staying in this property can benefit from the excellent gym facilities at the nearby 5-star resort.
Entertainment: as well as the essential smart TV and wide range of channels there are computer games, books, puzzles, and board games available to suit all ages.
The villa has a sophisticated home automation system that includes the facility to play your music wirelessly throughout the property.
Live more, feel more
Discover the additional activities and services that you can choose to make your days more memorable.
You can book in advance or during your stay.
Activities & experiences
BODY AND MIND
Spa treatments, massage, personal training.
FOOD AND DRINK
Wine tasting, cooking workshops.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
kayaking, horse riding, go-karting, mountain biking and many other activities
For further details, please contact the Reservations team (prior to your arrival) or the Concierge team (during your stay).
‘In-villa’ services
A range of ‘in-villa’ services are available on request, including:
Bespoke food packs (for anniversaries / birthdays etc)
Chef, BBQ chef or Cook-service upon request (minimum 48 hours’ notice required)
Private sommelier
Babysitting service
Exercise classes (Pilates, Yoga, Personal Training)
Massage
Children’s entertainment
Car hire (can be delivered or collected at Faro airport)
Airport transfers
Laundry and ironing service
Hairdresser
Beauty Treatments
Additional services are subject to availability and subject to specific Terms & Conditions. Some services must be paid locally in Euros (cash). For further details, please contact the Reservations team (prior to your arrival) or the Concierge team (during your stay).
The project
Villas that embrace the infinite.
«The villas nestle up to each other and fit snugly on the land. Only the horizontal glass lines are seen to frame a succession of views that are modified into an almost perfect symbiosis: the surrounding green, the contours of the cliff, the immensity of the sea and, then, the sky.»
Mário Martins, architect
Is it possible to have a dialogue with the house in which we live? Of course, it is. The Lux Mare villas (Casa L and Casa M) talk to us in a very specific dialect: a language of light and shapes that are simultaneously fuelled by the aesthetics from the North of Europe and the heat from the Algarve.
The relationship with the community has been a fundamental part of the architectural plan right from the start and that is why the wish to use local raw materials and suppliers perfectly suited the creative and environmental vision of a “local boy”, the architect Mário Martins.
The sustainability and the subtle setting on the slope that houses them are the alma mater of the two villas – two continents adrift, albeit well aware of their anchor in
an immense sea of light, which come closer then separate without ever really departing like an elegant dance in the wild.
Casa M, located closer to the sea and at a lower level on the land, is submerged by the surrounding garden – the roof is landscaped, so that Casa L, further back, may benefit from an endless view. The elegance of the lines, the simplicity of the white and materials such as the wood and glass, as well as the energy balance that unites the whole concept, determine a sense of harmony with the surrounding environment.
As far as the eye can see, green and blue – the sky and the Atlantic – predominate, transforming the simple experience of being into a breath-taking and unforgettable occurrence.
The artists
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Mário Martins
Mário Martins
Arquitect
An architect who knows and understands well the soul of the Algarve and has turned his vision of sea and light into reality.
Mário Martins was born in Lagos, a city where he has been implementing, with greater incidence, his brand in contemporary architecture. With his creativity he seeks above all to respect people and places, as well as his past and present, and always thinking in terms of balance and sustainability.
With his company - Mário Martins Atelier - assumes very diverse projects of construction or requalification, from public equipment to private dwellings. Today, due to the work he has been developing, Mário is considered a notable figure in contemporary Algarve architecture. His projects have been widely disseminated and awarded internationally, finding echo in the current challenges of thinking architecture.
In recent years he has published several books with selected works, which had great demand: "Houses Mário Martins" (2011), "Mário Martins 1 + 1" (2012) and "Mário Martins - Projects" (2015).
More about Mário Martins:
www.mariomartins.com
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João Mariano
João Mariano
A personal, subjective approach that reveals details, sensations, forms and emotions that further accentuate the elegance of the project.
Having a very rich and diversified career in photography, João Mariano is a son of the Algarve and his work is shaped by the people and culture of the Costa Vicentina, which he calls his "laboratory of emotions". It is this region that inspires him the most and awakes the creativity in his eyes. It's his atelier. As a result of this profound connection, he has published several books that celebrate the traditions and the knowledge of the land and the sea, as well as the landscape and the existence of the southwestern Algarve. Photographer and publisher, he lives between in Lisbon and Aljezur, the village where, together with his wife, he founded the image and communication agency 1000olhos.
More about João Mariano:
www.joaomariano.com
www.1000olhos.pt
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Fernando Guerra
Fernando Guerra
To capture the architectural essence of Lux Mare, a challenge presented to Fernando Guerra, acclaimed architectural photographer.
Born in Lisbon, Fernando Guerra graduated in Architecture, having practiced for some years in Macau. It would be, however, in the architecture photography that he would come to follow a pioneering course. In collaboration with his brother he created the studio FG + SG, which is responsible for much of the diffusion of contemporary Portuguese architecture in the last decades. The look of Fernando Guerra is, thus, a double look: that of the photographer who speaks the same language of what he photographs. As if it were a new way to construct — or reconstruct — what was built. His works have been published in the most prestigious architectural magazines, and as a photographer he has collaborated with renowned Portuguese and international architects.
More about Fernando Guerra:
www.ultimasreportagens.com
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Luis Bujalance
Luis Bujalance
Bujalance inhabits Lux Mare through his paintings — in Casa M we can find the largest private collection of the artist’s works.
Born in Malaga, Spain, Luis Bujalance is a plastic artist whose work is largely inspired by nature as way of connection. His paintings and installations invite us to take a deeper look, while listening and feeling the resemblance to nature even when surrounded by another environment. It’s this journey of the senses that defines the relationship of Lux Mare with Bujalance’s paintings. His pieces bring a dimension of strength and profoundness to the architectural elements, creating a place where nature makes a new journey.
More about Luis Bujalance:
www.luisbujalance.es
www.vimeo.com/artclubinspain/bujalance
Surroundings
Nature that inspires. Hospitable people.
Lagos and the Algarve
Let’s think of sea, of light, beaches flanked by steep cliffs and landscapes that take one’s breath away. Let’s think of an incomparable wild beauty, of the smooth breeze that brings with it stories that fill us with awe, and of the pleasure of experiencing a rich and exceptionally varied cuisine. This is what we find in Lagos.
Located on the west part of the Algarve – known as Barlavento or the windward part – the city of Lagos maintains its traces of authenticity with the walls of the historic centre reminding us of the past. For centuries, the city went to find its identity and its livelihood from the sea, a history echoed in the city. It was from here that, at the time of the discoveries many vessels and navigators left in search of new worlds.
Today, Lagos is a destination of excellence, not only due to its picturesque streets but also and mainly due to the extraordinary natural landscapes and Atlantic beaches of great beauty.
Lux Mare could only have been born here.