WHERE THE FUTURE IS GOLDEN
WHERE THE FUTURE IS GOLDEN
Inland, the Algarve has so much to offer, and few places more so than the new Ombria Resort in the hills between Loulé and the enchanting mountain village of Querença.
Ombria RESORT has been in the development stages since plans for the massive 153 hectares of stunning countryside were approved eight years ago. The glorious setting – amid olive and fruit tree groves surrounded by wild rolling hills full of cork oaks, and the ambitious vision representing a new generation of sustainable resorts – cannot fail but to impress.
Owner-developer Pontos Group, a family-owned Finnish investment company, is clearly focused on delivering the best, and realising a dream of providing the finest resort experience in a luxury development that is perfectly integrated into the area where it is located.
No expense has been spared in bringing that vision to fruition, which started with the infastructure of roads and utilities and will culminate in a stunning array of properties of the finest quality: a magnificent five-star hotel, and communal facilities that include an 18-hole golf course designed by Jorge Santana da Silva, four swimming pools, six restaurants, a spa, an astronomical observatory, state-of-the-art sports facilities and beehives.
The desire to protect and enhance the indigenous natural landscape, boost the local economy, and stimulate the local culture and heritage has been integral to the scheme, and sustainability is a key priority.
Central to the Ombria personality, which has been likened in concept to the luxurious PGA Catalunya in Girona, Spain and CastelfalfI in Tuscany, is the attention that has been placed on every detail, no matter how small. And what this does is underpin the difference between quality developments produced by experts, and hurriedly-erected housing where fast sales are the only interest – something that sadly is commonplace along our coast.
Ombria is far removed from the ordinary so unsurprisingly discerning buyers are looking now at what will become available in the next stage of the build. WATG, the renowned architects with a reputation for cutting-edge design, and its interior design arm, Wimberly, have created something exceptional, not just in terms of space, but in an ambience to meet the expectations of an international audience.
The first phase of Ombria’s development will come to life in 2022, with the opening of the 5-star Vicerory Hotel, the Viceroy Residences, Alcedo Villas and Oriole Village. Within two months, from December 2019 when the sales office first opened, 20% of properties were sold; by February those same units had increased in value by five percent.
And there is a skilfully-wrought blend of property types. The Viceroy Residences, one- and two-bedroom apartments from €368,050 have the greatest appeal for purchasers looking for holiday home ownership and those who invest to rent out, while buyers of the magnificent Alcedo Villas, which are priced between €2,550,000 and €4,000,000 and set in plots of up to 3,300sqm, will unquestionably be making Ombria their full-time home.
It is the peace and quiet of the surroundings, the privacy and security of the development itself and the multitude of facilities it offers that make Ombria a very special proposition. With increasing numbers of major investors looking now to buy in the Algarve, and looking above all else for luxury, this is a star destination. And it is one we should all be proud of.
Words: Susi Rogol Goodkind