Seafront hideaway for two - beautiful views across Murdeira bay
- Villa1023 sq. ft.
- Sleeps: 4
- Bedrooms: 2
- Bathrooms: 2
- Min Stay: 7 nights
2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms sleeps 4, close to beach, bar, restaurant, grocery store
Bedrooms
Owner
Mrs Claire Ensor
- Languages:
- english, french, german, spanish, portuguese, English mother tongue
About Mrs Claire Ensor
We bought this villa as a house to live in permanently. But life has surprises, and we never lived in Sal full time. We normally spend 3-4 months a year in Sal, maintaining and improving our villa, and greeting our guests. We have a house in London, travel around Europe with our dogs (both from Sal) and enjoy sailing yachts and dinghies.
Mrs Claire Ensor purchased this Villa in 2005
Why Mrs Claire Ensor chose Sal
We spent ages looking over properties in Sal in general, then Murdeira in particular and wanted somewhere in an excellent location. We didn't want to buy off plan as was the norm. We stayed in a villa in Murdeira for three weeks before we bought. We love the sea, so wanted to be in the front line, which makes the house lighter and quieter. Murdeira is like being in a village community; it's not full of holiday makers, and there's a blend of Europeans and Cape Verdeans - these tend to be doctors, dentists, lawyers and architects. Being in a place with so many nationalities means that in one day you can end up speaking five languages!
What makes this Villa unique
We loved the position of the villa, to the far south of Murdeira - with views to Monte Leon, and the light reflections from the sea, and the moon. The villa is remarkably cool, with a spacious feeling and airy with very high ceilings and this makes it light and agreable to live in, without the need for air conditioning. There is lots of outside space with wonderful views, as well as practical things like an outside sink/shower and store room and plenty of washing lines. And of course, one of the few baths on the island! We were looking for a home to live in and we found one....
Amenities
Featured
- TV
- Children Welcome
- No Smoking
- Satellite or cable
- Parking
- Internet
- Swimming pool
- Pets Welcome
Bathrooms
- Bathrooms: 2
Safety features
- Deadbolt lock
- Fire extinguisherkitchen
- Exterior lighting
Location Type
- BeachThe villa is in the front line, and set back a little from the ocean. This is for practical reasons. If the waves are large, you would not want to be any nearer!
- Near The Ocean
- Resort
- Rural
- Village
- Waterfront
- Ocean View
- Oceanfront
General
- Linens ProvidedNatural clothes dryer - washing lines, sun and wind.
- Washing Machine
- ParkingPark outside the villa, plenty of space.
- Towels ProvidedBeach towels also included
- Safe
- Wireless Internet3G available via local telecom provider - can purchase SIM at airport.
- Iron & Board
- Hair Dryer
- Toilet Paper
- Living RoomWith 2 sets of French windows, for light and air.
Kitchen
- DishwasherSiemens.
- RefrigeratorLiebherr
- Stove4 rings (from gas bottle). Spare bottle stored outside.
- OvenElectric built under oven, with grill.
- MicrowavePanasonic.
- Grill
- Coffee MakerCafetiere, and electric coffee maker.
- Toaster
- Blender
- Coffee Grinder
- Pantry Items
- Dishes & UtensilsDenby crockery for 8, picnic crockery, serving dishes, bowls, ramikins, tea pot, casserole dishes, etc
Dining
- Dining Area
Entertainment
- Television
- Satellite / CableChoice of TV programmes is not great, suggest you bring plenty of videos
- StereoDenon hifi - amplifier, CD player and radio , Celestion Ditton speakers
- DVD Player
- Books
- Games
- Games for Kids
- Music LibraryCape Verdean and classical.
- Video Library
Outside
- Lawn / Garden
- Balcony
- Beach Chairs
- Beach Towels
- Porch / Veranda
- Deck / Patio
- Outdoor Furniture
- Water Sports GearSnorkels and masks provided Body boards
- TennisTennis court at Murdeira with flood lights bookable via reception (enquire with owner about availability)
Pool / Spa
- Communal PoolLarge pool which belongs to hotel, great for swimmers. Also, two children's pools with different depths. It is not certain that the pool will be available to villa guests.
Notes
- Whilst we make every effort to keep the details as accurate and up to date as possible, we cannot guarantee that this is the case. Please check any particular requirements with the owner before booking. Please refer to the English text for the most accurate information on the villa; the owner is not responsible for translations. Ask us about drink delivered at wholesale prices to the villa, taxis from airport, visas, car hire and excursions. All photographs in this ad were taken by the owner.
House Rules
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 10:00 AM
No parties/events
No smoking
Non smokers only.
Pets allowed
Please contact owner re: pets
Children allowed
Children over age of 10 only.
Minimum age of primary renter:35
Max guests:4 (sleeps up to 4 adults)
Cancellation Policy
Canceled bookings will not receive a refund
9 Reviews
Well appointed, comfortable house in a village resort. A good base for exploring Sal.
The villa is very well equipped, especially the kitchen, we found all the things that are usually missing in other rented holiday villas like scissors and decent kitchen knives. You can tell that it is regularly used by the owners and equipped as a house to be lived in. The only problem we had was with the water supply, there was good water pressure early in the morning and after 6pm, during the day the water was often reduced to a trickle, especially in the upstairs bathroom. We stayed a week and this happened every day. I recommend showering and using the washing machine either early in the morning or later in the evening.
The villa is located in a small village/resort which, in some areas, does look somewhat tired. We found a car useful for getting around, there is not much in Murdeira village.
Although it is a 'seafront' villa, the sea is actually across a small road, over a small piece of abandoned land (mostly covered in dog poo) and then over some very large and sharp rocks. So although you can see the sea from the villa it is not quite on your doorstep. There is a small beach a little to the left of the villa where the sea is more accessible.
Having said that the view from the upstairs terrace is good and we enjoyed the sunsets from our deck chairs.
We enjoyed exploring the island, most places are no more than 15 minutes drive away. The beach at Santa Maria is really good and one of the few places where the sea is calm enough to swim.
All in all, after a day out sightseeing, it was a good 'home from home' to come back to.
Thank you for your very positive review. We too love the views from the villa, especially at sunset. Unfortunately in many tropical islands whose popularity is growing fast, Sal has occasional water and electricity supply problems. All the water is desalinated and there is sometimes not enough to go round. I try to warn guests in advance if I know of problems. There is a small cobbled service road in front of the house which is only used by us and our neighbour to the south. It is useful if you have a hire car. The ground in front of the house is there for a reason. It is needed to protect the houses from the ocean. Sometimes it gets flooded and becomes a large swimming pool. The volcanic rocks on the island change over the years, depending on the severity of any Atlantic storms and there is coral under the water which is great for snorkeling.
Overall absolutely loved my stay. 1st place I've stayed where felt like a home from home.
Overall: It felt like a proper home, which is really what homeaway should be about, not a made for rent house which you find out is an agency who also has dozens of other properties.
• It was really comfortable, furniture was good quality, adaptors much appreciated and starter pack (esp the wine) was a great touch. The joining instructions and information packs were fantastic and really helped.
• There was a good sized balcony which I spent a lot of time on. It was extremely quiet, very private i.e. not overlooked and was perfect for relaxing and sunbathing.
• There is the view of the ocean immediately in front of you and the beach is 2 minutes walk around the corner. The 1st morning I saw one lady walking her dog, the 2nd I saw around 2-3 people. It felt like I was on a private beach!
• There was wind off the ocean but this was welcome as the sun is very hot here. I was there in December, the temperature was around 26 C but when the breeze wasn’t there it felt much hotter than this.
• It’s a very quiet spot. If you are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle and do absolutely nothing for a week, this is the place to do it.
Owner:
Claire was amazing. I told her I was travelling alone and was nervous. I was overwhelmed by how much she went out of her way to make sure I felt safe and looked after. She called a taxi driver she had recommended who picked me up and took me back to the airport. She asked the owner of the local grocery store to stop by and make sure I was ok. And even one of her friends who owns one of the houses close by popped over to make me feel welcome. That made the whole experience for me.
Recommendations:
The following suggestions have been fed back to Claire who is already looking to take on board:
• The kitchen drawers were full of things. Great there was a lot of choice but it was too much. Previous visitors had left lots and it made it difficult to see if anything was actually useful without digging through it all. A good clear out needed.
• It was great that there was food left from previous visitors (eg rice & flour) but some of it was out of date / didn’t have a date on so I wasn’t sure whether it was usable. Again a clear out.
• The house was clean but suffered from the usual lack of a good spring clean. A house (especially with tiles) needs a good bleaching and scrub down once in a while. Also reliance on previous visitors making sure all the pots and pans are thoroughly clean can lead to disappointment.
Peaceful Haven
We loved the villa from the moment we stepped into the front patio.Inside its well laid out and very well equipped for a self catering holiday.The generous welcome pack is a nice touch.From the upstairs terrace you have an uninterrupted sea view,great place for sunbathing.We enjoyed having breakfast every morning on the front patio relaxing in the supper comfortable seats.The village is nice and quiet and makes the whole holiday very relaxing. It's easy to get to the airport as its only ten minutes away.
So glad you enjoyed the peace and quiet, and being away from the burble of ordinary life. A nuclear bomb could fall in the world and living in Murdeira you might go for weeks without knowing! The villa was designed as a self-contained hideaway, and sometimes we go for days without leaving it, except to visit the beach.
Each Morning I Said: 'A Little Piece of Heaven'
If you're anything like me then by now, you will have looked at dozens of properties in Cape Verde and still be surfing the web searching for that villa with 'something special', that 'litte piece of heaven' for your well-earned break. Well congratulations, because now you can stop your search - you've found it! My husband and I are well-versed villa bookers ... and this really is something special! Each morning as I stepped out of the second floor door of this villa onto the sun-baked breakfast patio, it felt like stepping into a picture postcard - a little piece of heaven. I just had to stop and stare. And each evening, as the sun set low over the sea, I had to close my eyes, rock gently in the hammock and let the sound of the surf break over me. Perfect peace! Of course, there is much that I could say about the villa itself that goes without saying - it's smart, comfortable, well-equipped, well maintained by the lovely, local cleaning ladies - everything you need for a home from home holiday. And close by are some near deserted beaches, a well-kept swimming pool (and children's pool), a restaurant on the shore front (the sea literally goes under the outdoor patio area) and a friendly bar with live musicians each night(many of them local Cape Verdians playing traditional music) and also an outdoor pool table for the children - plus a local shop with most of your basic provisions. But the location is the deal-breaker - right on the shore front and close enough to hear the sea as you fall to sleep at night and the waves as you wake up in the morning! In fact, we found ourselves hard pushed to find reasons to leave our relaxing place in the sun - until a reason found us in the form of a lovely, lively and clever local lady called Goldie . The owner of the villa Claire is a kind hearted lady who has rescued a number of dogs from Cape Verde in the past and I can understand why. Goldie was so smart and quickly became part of our daily routine. We couldn't help but to look out for her. She loved nothing more than a romp along the local beach, playing in the surf and chasing sticks across the sand! Or just snoozing in the sun amongst the shade of the rocks in the midday sun. A lovely, lovely lady who stole our hearts - and made our holiday even more perfect! But don't take my advice - go and see for yourself - believe me, you will not regret it.
Gosh, I am very pleased you had such a lovely time and appreciated the lovely setting of the villa with the sound of the sea, the waves and the beautiful sunsets. And I would appeal to all dog lovers, that if they would like to help Goldie (who has a string tightening around her neck as she grows) in any way, that they should contact me as I have a special offer for them in summer 2016 in return for helping. Goldie needs to be given food, water and love. She is very scared right now, once she his less frightened, the string needs to be removed, and she can be taken to the vet in Santa Maria to give her a rabies injection which will set her on the path to being able to be rehomed in Europe. This rather unusual manner of dog rescue has worked in the past for my own two dogs and several others. And the kind dog lovers get to have a cheaper holiday and meet a lovely dog who wants so much to be loved, and get to have amazing walks along the beach with a beautiful four legged companion!
Just the ticket for rest and relaxation
We wanted an early autumn chill-out and relaxation with lots of sunshine. We really wanted peace and quiet with a large pool to swim in as my partner likes to swim every day. We swam every day in the Olympic pool or the small sandy beach, really close by which nobody else seemed to be using. The villa had everything that you could need for a week and we loved lying on the roof terrace looking out on the ocean.
We used Linda to cook some meals. She just arrived, having bought all that she needed and seemed able to make simple dishes of fish or chicken into tasty creole confections. Although we speak no Portuguese, she was able to understand gestures and sign language.
We checked with the owners about building work and they said that the hotel was being redecorated for the first time in years. But we were not disturbed, at all. Overall a great place to go if you want to relax in peace.
Lovely relaxing break
This is an extremely comfortable property & the attention to detail is incredible.
The villa is very well stocked & we slept soundly in the extremely comfortable bed.
The owners provide detailed information to make the most of your stay.
We really enjoyed our peaceful stay here and would recommend the villa. We were also looking after the dogs and they were a delight. Our constant companions,they are very responsive & incredibly well behaved & we are missing them still.
We plan to return to this stunning Island & if you are wondering whether you should volunteer to look after the dogs then go for it.
Thanks for your kind feedback. Several containers and air freight was needed to get all the furniture and kit to the villa. I'm so glad you enjoyed the Vispring mattress; it took 4 people to drag it from the container and up the stairs! The sweet dogs, Niki and Jet, you looked after will be flying to Germany in mid June 2012, when all their paperwork is in order. There are always charming dogs around Sal looking for loving owners in Europe. We now know how to ship them to/around Europe having rescued a dog in 2011 and can offer assistance - also if you want to bring your own dog to Sal, we can tell you how to get your dog in/out.
Map
Murdeira is a resort village by the sea. Windsurfing, kite surfing, surfing, sailing powered by steady north east trade winds, fishing, game fishing, snorkelling, tennis, diving either on site or within 10 minutes by motor. Many of our guests enjoy jogging from the house; one even encouraged me to run 2 miles with them ! Float in the salt water of the Volcanic crater and old salt mines at Pedra de Lume or swim in the natural rock pools at Burracona (or if water is rough, watch the water spouts). Day trips to other Cape Verde islands by light plane (only for those that like small planes!) or boat. The resort restaurant and bar with tables indoors and out has beautiful views over Murdeira Bay, and a choice of European or local dishes. Or just watch the world go by at the water's edge; there are some magic places where it's like being an observor on a film set.
There are long walks around Murdeira Bay, and there is excellent snorkeling (generally many fish, sometimes turtles or dolphins) and swimming in the sea or in the large pool. The small beaches and coves in Murdeira have few, if any people. Take your picnic to a secluded spot (picnic crockery and cool bag provided) or just find a deserted beach or cove. At first glance the inland appears to be without interest, but inland walks are extremely varied and Sal island has its own micro geography.
Shops, fish market, bars, variety of restaurants, nightclubs, vast beaches and more people 10 minutes by motor. Taxis from Murdeira to Espargos or Santa Maria cost about 7 euros and buses are 1 euro per person.