Authentic decor and azulejos in a fisherman’s house with a pool
La Casa da Bica is a fisherman’s house that combines historic azulejos, vintage furniture, and a small pool on its terrace
Olhão is unlike any other town in the Algarve. Here, there are no golden cliffs, no golf courses, and no flashy marinas. It’s a small town where the facades are white and blue, the streets smell of grilled fish, and flat roofs stretch all the way to the horizon. And here stands this renovated former fisherman’s house dating from the early 20th century. Casa da Bica is owned by a Belgian couple who bought it in 2025. They have transformed it into a vacation rental that can accommodate five people.
The first thing that catches your eye, and makes you fall in love with the house immediately, is its facade. It’s remarkable and entirely covered with azulejos made by the Fábrica de Sacavém. Tiles produced by this Portuguese factory have adorned the country’s most beautiful homes since the 19th century. How could you not love the repeating green and blue pattern? But also the carved stone frames, the windows with wrought-iron bars in scrollwork, and the lacquered double door topped by a pink shrub. This powdery blue is characteristic of Olhão.
The town has a long-standing connection to this color, which appears on the doors and shutters of nearly every historic house in the center. The owners chose to echo this color inside the house in the woodwork, the kitchen cabinetry, and the door frames. They’ve been repainted in this same calm shade, somewhere between a summer sky and the colors of the ocean. After all, we’re in the Algarve, not far from the Atlantic.
You enter through a narrow hallway with a cement tile floor featuring a black-and-white geometric pattern. It reminds us of the house’s age. Two woven wicker pendant lights punctuate the space. A weathered bench and a terracotta jar filled with dried herbs decorate the room.
The dining room and kitchen open into one another in a large room with high ceilings. A solid, unfinished wooden farmhouse table, surrounded by weathered bistro chairs, takes center stage. They share the same honey hue, the same curved wood, and the same age. On the wall hangs a contemporary figurative painting depicting two children by the water’s edge. It provides the only touch of cool color in an otherwise very warm space.
For the kitchen, the owners chose dark honey-colored ceramic wall tiles, almost the shade of burnt caramel, which cover the entire backsplash and extend onto the countertop. This warm brown complements the blue fronts of the base cabinets. An antique sideboard, lacquered and weathered in pale blue, provides additional storage.
The Santa Catarina floor tiles, handmade in a local factory about fifteen kilometers from Olhão, appear in several rooms. Made of pinkish terracotta and laid in a staggered brick pattern, they visually warm up these spaces with their high white ceilings.
One of the bedrooms perfectly illustrates the home’s decorative philosophy. The headboard is framed by two open niches built into the white wall. Two bedside lamps made of raw cork, two dark earthenware amphorae placed opposite each other, and blue-and-white striped cushions, that’s all it takes for this space dedicated to rest. Floor tiles feature a vintage-style geometric pattern of yellow and black diamonds, likely original.
The rooftop is the ultimate highlight of Casa da Bica, if one were needed. A small but welcome pool opens onto a panorama of flat roofs and antennas, with the Church of Olhão and the Ria Formosa in the distance. Around it, there are three distinct areas. The pergola made of wood and woven reeds provides shade at midday. A lounge area with natural rattan butterfly chairs, a coffee table, and black metal wire garden chairs for relaxing. A macramé hammock for napping.
This rooftop is meticulously designed down to the last detail, featuring the same cohesive palette of materials, wood, terracotta, rattan, and black metal, that runs throughout the interior.
Between the ground-floor patio and the rooftop, the first-floor terrace plays a less spectacular but equally successful role. This is the level of the large blue double doors, which fold back to open onto the outdoors like giant shutters. The pinkish terracotta floor continues from the interior, visually expanding the space.
Accessible from the kitchen, this terrace features a built-in niche that houses a low bench upholstered with red-and-white striped cushions. The arch above it evokes the patios of Moorish architecture. A small dark wooden stool, a white vase, and a weathered zinc jug nearby complete the decor.
The ground-floor patio, on the other hand, serves a different purpose. Sheltered and shaded in the morning, it catches the light in the afternoon. It’s the perfect spot for a peaceful breakfast before the sun becomes too intense. The materials here are the same as inside, terracotta, white, and raw wood, and this continuity between indoors and outdoors gives the house a distinct sense of cohesion.
These three levels of outdoor living, a cool morning patio, a mid-level terrace, and a sun-drenched rooftop, each correspond to a different time of day. It’s a well-thought-out layout.
In recent years, Olhão has been attracting an international clientele seeking the less touristy side of Portugal, a desire to stay in a quiet and authentic setting. Olhão’s covered market, one of the most beautiful in the country with its two early 20th-century red-brick pavilions, where live fish are sold in the morning and local vegetables in the afternoon, is a popular spot for a daily stroll. It’s exactly the kind of authenticity that travelers are increasingly seeking, far from destinations overrun by tourism.
Casa da Bica meets this expectation. It offers genuine comfort, a pool, three terraces, two bathrooms, and sleeping arrangements for five, while retaining its charming character. You’ll feel right at home here, just like in a real Portuguese house, with its local materials, local colors, endearing little imperfections, and simple decor.
The overall result is genuinely charming, with its simple, rustic yet comfortable style. The owners have struck the perfect balance, neither overdoing it nor falling short. It’s a success in terms of balancing regional authenticity with contemporary comfort, achieved through a meticulous selection of materials and furnishings.
This fisherman’s house with a pool in Portugal is available for rent by clicking this link
A remarkable facade you’ll fall in love with
The first thing that catches your eye, and makes you fall in love with the house immediately, is its facade. It’s remarkable and entirely covered with azulejos made by the Fábrica de Sacavém. Tiles produced by this Portuguese factory have adorned the country’s most beautiful homes since the 19th century. How could you not love the repeating green and blue pattern? But also the carved stone frames, the windows with wrought-iron bars in scrollwork, and the lacquered double door topped by a pink shrub. This powdery blue is characteristic of Olhão.
The town has a long-standing connection to this color, which appears on the doors and shutters of nearly every historic house in the center. The owners chose to echo this color inside the house in the woodwork, the kitchen cabinetry, and the door frames. They’ve been repainted in this same calm shade, somewhere between a summer sky and the colors of the ocean. After all, we’re in the Algarve, not far from the Atlantic.
A minimalist and rustic interior
You enter through a narrow hallway with a cement tile floor featuring a black-and-white geometric pattern. It reminds us of the house’s age. Two woven wicker pendant lights punctuate the space. A weathered bench and a terracotta jar filled with dried herbs decorate the room.
The dining room and kitchen open into one another in a large room with high ceilings. A solid, unfinished wooden farmhouse table, surrounded by weathered bistro chairs, takes center stage. They share the same honey hue, the same curved wood, and the same age. On the wall hangs a contemporary figurative painting depicting two children by the water’s edge. It provides the only touch of cool color in an otherwise very warm space.
The kitchen area
For the kitchen, the owners chose dark honey-colored ceramic wall tiles, almost the shade of burnt caramel, which cover the entire backsplash and extend onto the countertop. This warm brown complements the blue fronts of the base cabinets. An antique sideboard, lacquered and weathered in pale blue, provides additional storage.
The Santa Catarina floor tiles, handmade in a local factory about fifteen kilometers from Olhão, appear in several rooms. Made of pinkish terracotta and laid in a staggered brick pattern, they visually warm up these spaces with their high white ceilings.
Alcoves and niches, the art of space
One of the bedrooms perfectly illustrates the home’s decorative philosophy. The headboard is framed by two open niches built into the white wall. Two bedside lamps made of raw cork, two dark earthenware amphorae placed opposite each other, and blue-and-white striped cushions, that’s all it takes for this space dedicated to rest. Floor tiles feature a vintage-style geometric pattern of yellow and black diamonds, likely original.
The rooftop, its small pool, and its view of the white rooftops
The rooftop is the ultimate highlight of Casa da Bica, if one were needed. A small but welcome pool opens onto a panorama of flat roofs and antennas, with the Church of Olhão and the Ria Formosa in the distance. Around it, there are three distinct areas. The pergola made of wood and woven reeds provides shade at midday. A lounge area with natural rattan butterfly chairs, a coffee table, and black metal wire garden chairs for relaxing. A macramé hammock for napping.
This rooftop is meticulously designed down to the last detail, featuring the same cohesive palette of materials, wood, terracotta, rattan, and black metal, that runs throughout the interior.
Three terraces, three atmospheres
Between the ground-floor patio and the rooftop, the first-floor terrace plays a less spectacular but equally successful role. This is the level of the large blue double doors, which fold back to open onto the outdoors like giant shutters. The pinkish terracotta floor continues from the interior, visually expanding the space.
Accessible from the kitchen, this terrace features a built-in niche that houses a low bench upholstered with red-and-white striped cushions. The arch above it evokes the patios of Moorish architecture. A small dark wooden stool, a white vase, and a weathered zinc jug nearby complete the decor.
The ground-floor patio, on the other hand, serves a different purpose. Sheltered and shaded in the morning, it catches the light in the afternoon. It’s the perfect spot for a peaceful breakfast before the sun becomes too intense. The materials here are the same as inside, terracotta, white, and raw wood, and this continuity between indoors and outdoors gives the house a distinct sense of cohesion.
These three levels of outdoor living, a cool morning patio, a mid-level terrace, and a sun-drenched rooftop, each correspond to a different time of day. It’s a well-thought-out layout.
What visitors will particularly appreciate
In recent years, Olhão has been attracting an international clientele seeking the less touristy side of Portugal, a desire to stay in a quiet and authentic setting. Olhão’s covered market, one of the most beautiful in the country with its two early 20th-century red-brick pavilions, where live fish are sold in the morning and local vegetables in the afternoon, is a popular spot for a daily stroll. It’s exactly the kind of authenticity that travelers are increasingly seeking, far from destinations overrun by tourism.
Casa da Bica meets this expectation. It offers genuine comfort, a pool, three terraces, two bathrooms, and sleeping arrangements for five, while retaining its charming character. You’ll feel right at home here, just like in a real Portuguese house, with its local materials, local colors, endearing little imperfections, and simple decor.
Our take on the decor of this fisherman’s house
The overall result is genuinely charming, with its simple, rustic yet comfortable style. The owners have struck the perfect balance, neither overdoing it nor falling short. It’s a success in terms of balancing regional authenticity with contemporary comfort, achieved through a meticulous selection of materials and furnishings.
This fisherman’s house with a pool in Portugal is available for rent by clicking this link
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