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The Story
A house with a story
A century-old house, a woman who worked to own it and a restoration that kept what time left behind.
Tia Hortência
According to the property’s public description, Tia Hortência was a Cape Verdean woman who worked for many years as a domestic worker in France and saved to buy her dream house in São Vicente. It was there that she spent her later years.
She had no children and gave that time to helping people in need. Those who remember her say she woke at five in the morning, swam at Laginha Beach and went on to the hospital, or wherever she was needed.
It is this spirit of hospitality that the house tries to keep alive.
The house and its restoration
The house is about a hundred years old. The restoration aimed to keep as many original elements as possible — walls, doors and the layout of the spaces — while adding the comfort a guest expects today.
The photographs show the result: vividly coloured paintings on the walls, a timber-and-iron staircase, four-poster and metal-framed beds, bathtubs in the room and a courtyard with a black-and-white chequered floor.
A stay with personality — and honest limits
This is an old house, not a hotel building. That brings character, but also a few realities we would rather tell you before you book:
- The photographs show interior staircases and the terrace is at the top of the house. If you need step-free access, contact us before booking.
- The kitchen and dining room are shared.
- Each unit is different; capacity and beds for each are on the Booking.com listing.