It's 7 in the morning in July. You're at the far end of the pool, turning for the tenth lap of the day. The water is warm because the automatic cover retained yesterday's sun during the night. The garden is still in shadow, the cliffs of Porto de Mós are beginning to catch the first light five minutes down the road, and the only thing you hear is your own breath against the water. This is the daily rhythm around which this villa was built. A heated 17.5-meter pool with automatic cover that retains the heat accumulated during the day, making the heating system almost unnecessary. Fed by an artesian well, on a 1,000 m² plot in Atalaia, one of Lagos's quietest and best-located residential areas. The city walls on one side, the cliffs and the sea on the other. The main house and outdoor space The living area opens onto the garden through floor-to-ceiling glazing on three sides, so the living room, kitchen, and terrace are no longer separate concepts. The south-facing orientation brings the sun to the pool deck from morning until early evening, which is exactly why the outdoor barbecue area, equipped with an integrated Japanese teppanyaki plate, is positioned where it is. Dinner moves outdoors in May and stays there until October. Throughout the interior, invisible baseboards run recessed into the walls—one of those details you don't notice until you do, and then you can't ignore the clean lines of every room. The independent apartment and upper floor The ground floor includes a second, completely independent 1-bedroom apartment with its own kitchen, bathroom, and entrance, connected to the main house by two recessed interior doors. When open, it's one large family home. When closed, it becomes either a private wing for visiting parents or adult children, or a separate tourist accommodation with an independent entrance. On the upper floor, the master bedrooms share a panoramic solarium with an open view over Lagos—the kind of terrace that naturally becomes the evening gathering spot. Lifestyle Atalaia sits between Lagos's historic center and the cliffs of Porto de Mós. Porto de Mós beach is 5 minutes' drive away, or about 30 minutes' walk for those returning from a leisurely lunch. The old city walls, marina, and Saturday market are roughly the same distance in the opposite direction. Faro airport is just under an hour to the east. School, supermarket, surfing, and dinner reservations are all five minutes' drive away. Energy efficiency and running costs The villa holds an A+ energy certificate and was built to keep monthly bills low, not just to look efficient on paper. The artesian well covers irrigation and pool water. A 5 kW photovoltaic system with battery and inverter handles a significant portion of electricity. External thermal insulation (ETICS), mechanical ventilation (VMC) that continuously refreshes the air without opening windows, and Samsung A+ air conditioning in all bedrooms. In practice, water runs between €30-50 per month and electricity between €60-100, depending on usage. Two Italian Piazzetta fireplaces with forced air distribution handle the cooler months with minimal wood. Key features 4-Bedroom villa: main 3-bedroom house plus completely independent 1-bedroom apartment, internally connected by recessed doors ~300 m² of gross living area spread over two floors, on a 1,000+ m² landscaped plot Heated 17.5-meter pool, fed by artesian well, with automatic cover that retains daily heat South-facing outdoor dining and barbecue area with integrated teppanyaki plate Panoramic solarium on upper floor with open views over Lagos A+ energy certificate, ETICS insulation, 5 kW photovoltaic system with battery and inverter EV charging point at gate, central vacuum, mechanical ventilation (VMC), Samsung A+ AC in all bedrooms Italian Piazzetta fireplaces in both apartments with forced air distribution External annex: laundry room, bicycle storage, technical area, new sauna with full bathroom and walk-in shower Integrated sound system in bedrooms, pre-installation for home cinema in living areas Interior and exterior video surveillance 5 minutes' drive to Porto de Mós beach (about 30 minutes' walk), similar distance to historic center Monthly running costs: water €30–50, electricity €60–100 Closing remarks I'm happy to visit on site, or we can talk first about Atalaia and the Lagos market if you're still deciding whether the area is right for you. Send me a message with what you're looking for and I'll point you in the right direction.