Everything about the design of this residential home is contemplated to capitalize on the natural perfection of the Ria Formosa landscape. Every wall on the southern side of the villa is glass – doors opening out into the salty, ocean-facing air – with minimal interruptions from simple white-washed walls or steel supports.

Inside the decoration is minimalist, almost as if the owners want nothing to detract their attention from the natural surroundings. In the contemporary kitchen, simplicity and unbroken lines set the theme, making the room inviting and practical to use. Enduring cream surfaces and matt steel fittings are calm and clean. The centre island is a flat, unified surface, with sink and stove integrated seamlessly.

A dining section separates the kitchen and living room, half walls allowing light and conversation to pass between the rooms. A simple, solid black dining table contrasts wonderfully with unusual turquoise stools. On the living room side, a rectangular gas fireplace is built into the separating wall, serving both rooms. The living room is uncluttered yet cosy, filled by a sturdy sand-coloured sofa reflecting the beach outside. Noticeably, no television invades the space. The view is all the entertainment needed in this, the main room of the house. All the downstairs spaces have a close relationship with the deck outside, mirrored as they are by tasteful cane exterior sitting and dining areas.

The swimming pool running alongside echoes the gentle curve of the building, which was one of the first ideas mentioned by the future owners to their architect of the villa.

Upstairs, the master bedroom clearly expresses its supremacy among the villa’s four en-suite bed rooms. Bathed in sun on the south western tip of the house, with two walls open to the nature reserve, the room is the epitome of zen. Simplicity, unbroken lines and minimal furniture are once again the secret. A wall in the centre of the room serves as a headboard, alcoves built into it to eliminate the need for bed side tables. The wardrobes and other bedroom clutter are invisible behind it, out of sight and out of mind, leaving the spirit free to be entirely consumed by the calm of the sea in front and the nature reserve to the side. The full-length glass opens on one side to a decked terrace and on the other has a glass rail, turning the room itself into a balcony.

The same principle is used in the master bathroom where, with the sliding glass wall open, one has the impression of taking a bath in the middle of the sand dunes. Elevator access facilitates discovery of the roof with its breath-taking 360 degree panoramic of the surrounding area, and the basement, with underground parking for cars and buggies and a naturally lit laundry room. As if like a magnet, after exploring the house, one is drawn back to the downstairs terrace, to sit comfortably and contemplate the tranquil nature reserve. Somewhere beyond the crashing Atlantic waves, the mellow tones of Caribbean style music drift on the salty air from a wooden cabin bar. If this is not paradise, it has to be the closest plot to it.