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Lava Homes, Pico Island, the Azores

On the most dramatically rugged island in the volcanic Azores archipelago, Lava Homes is a surprisingly sophisticated collection of 14 contemporary houses spread out down a steep hill. The project started as the owner’s personal vacation home on Pico, along what was initially meant to be another house or two that she could rent on Airbnb. But the government would only approve the deal if she made a resort. In short order she got ten friends to invest in the project, and Lava Homes was born, but it still has the feel of being welcomed into the home of a friend with very good taste. The houses have a beguiling mix of farmhouse, contemporary and traditional furnishings, not to mention excellent views at every turn.

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It’s part of her small resort, Lava Homes, a collection of 14 contemporary houses spread out down a steep hill. The project started with her own house in Pico—a place she’s been visiting for 40 years, ever since her teenage self had a boyfriend with a father in nearby São Roque—with what was initially meant to be another house or two that she could rent on Airbnb. But the government would only approve the deal if she made a resort. In short order she got ten friends to invest in the project, and Lava Homes was born.

She loves Pico because it still belongs to a simpler world. “It’s one of few places left where you can leave your house open and your keys in the car,” she says, laughing. “Where would anyone go with your car? Just around the island and then bring it back.”
I would go back in a heartbeat just to chill out at Lava Homes for a few days—or to check out her upcoming hotel project, in a distillery in the charming, UNESCO-recognized village of Cabrito—but there are two main reasons that most people visit Pico.

Condé Nast Traveller

LAVA HOMES, PICO

"In the glass-walled yoga room at Lava Homes, sun salutations can be performed looking out the Atlantic and São Jorge. High on hillside, the 14 clean-lined cottages of glass and volcanic rock, with kitchens and working fireplaces, give the impression of floating above the sea."