There’s an interesting story making the Facebook grand tour today about a stunning (and modern) rock house in northern Portugal:
Located in the Fafe mountains of northern Portugal, A Casa do Penedo, or “the House of Stone,” was built between four large boulders found on the site. Although the house may seem rustic, it is not lacking in amenities, which include a fireplace and a swimming pool—carved out of one of the large rocks. But, as word has spread, the sleepy little house has had visitors venturing to see it in droves. ~ Real Life Flintstones House Lures Tourists in Portugal
I know it’s not funny, but I have to smile. The guy builds this place in a stunning and remote mountaintop place and eventually can’t live in it because of the tourist hordes. Imagine thousands of people saying, “why didn’t I think of that?”
The article also mentions the stone furniture inside. Yes, very “Flintstonesque”.
But what the articles or posters haven’t mentioned is that Portugal’s granite outcrops have been used as houses and storage sheds for years, as they have in other places in Mediterranean Europe. Here’s such a house in the Serra da Estrela mountain range near the town of Manteigas:
Granite boulders have been incorporated into the design of other rock houses in the town of Monsanto, southeast of the Serra da Estrela.
Of course, ancient folks have used natural rock formations and caves for years with some modification. in the Serra da Estrela National Park, climbers and hikers look for suitable windbreak rock shelters with a view. For tea time, as you see over there to the right.
Hikers will love the Serra da Estrela. There are over 350 km of hiking trails, including the main routes T1, T2 and T3, plus six additional routes that split from them.
So grab some Queijo Serra da Estrela cheese, some hiking boots and come to the Serra da Estrela and see the stone houses before taking off for some scenery you’ve never seen before.
