Gebhard Schachermayer, 34, is general manager of Vila Joya & Joy Jung Spa, near Albufeira on the Algarve coast of southern Portugal. He is a native of Austria who has lived in Portugal for six years.
Q. How do you describe where you work - a hotel? An inn?
It's more like a private villa or a home. That's what it was until it was converted into a 20-room hotel. It still has the feel of a private home. You can do whatever you want there.
I'm using my cell phone and am on the terrace of the property. Right in front of me is the beautiful and endless Atlantic Ocean. It's 10 meters (about 33 feet) from the terrace - on a cliff - to the beach; between them is the garden and the pool area. You walk down to the garden, then down another 5 meters to the beach.
Q. According to the map, you're maybe 40 miles from the southwest corner of Europe. Is it windy?
There are no strong winds but always a light sea breeze that makes the temperatures in July and August more comfortable. You don't feel the real temperature, which is 28 to 32 Celsius (82-90 Fahrenheit). It feels like 26 to 30 Celsius (79-86 F) June to mid-October. It's only windy for two or three weeks in December.
Most people aren't aware of how lovely weather can be here, even in winter. In January it can be 25 (77 F) or higher and sunny. Perfect for golfers.
Q. Does that make this a major resort area?
Albufeira, the most famous town in the Algarve, is 6 km (3.7 miles) away, but this is a private area with villas. There aren't large villages; it's lightly developed. When you arrive by car, it doesn't have a very touristic feeling.
We have only 40 clients at a time. The mix is about 80 percent European, and the rest is a mix of South Americans - Portugal has a historic relationship with Brazil - and the still-growing American and Canadian market.
About 70 percent of our clientele comes to relax. It's the property, the location and the culinary part: We have the only Michelin two-star property in Portugal. We also get the golfers and the spa freaks.
Q. Is there a course on your property?
No; the grounds are too small. There's a course three minutes away. The courses in the area are all professionally designed by well-known pros We get a lot of golfers, especially November through March.
Golf is becoming quite strong as a sport, partly because the country has a big relationship with the United Kingdom, where golf is quite popular. The Algarve has 180 km (112 miles) of coastline with 36 courses - and a few more are supposed to be in the works. That's quite a lot for Europeans.
Q. What do the beaches look like?
They have cream-colored sand on the Algarve and cliffs behind them. Most beaches in Portugal are public by law. Many have nice beach huts where you can order grilled fish or lobster, or Portuguese dishes like piri piri. That's grilled chicken with a special, spicy oil on the top.
Q. What's the cuisine of the Algarve?
Very Mediterranean. Our chef uses a lot of fish and shellfish and local products, like the famous black pork.
Q. Black pork?
It's a type of swine raised in Portugal and Spain; it's not a wild animal. Instead of having pink skin, it has black skin and black hair. They look like normal pigs, only they're black and taste different. They have a more intense and natural taste because they eat a different kind of food: the roots of oak trees.
Q. Like where truffles come from?
Correct. But they just eat the oak roots. These animals can get very big. I have no idea how heavy, maybe 100 to 150 kilos (about 220-331 pounds).
Q. What attractions are in your area?
There's a lovely town, Silves, that was a capital during the times of the Moors. The old Moorish castle still exists, and the town was built around it. And you have to go to the southwestern point of Europe, Sagres. It's a beautiful area where the cliffs are 30 meters (98 feet) tall, and the water splashes up over the rocks. Fishermen there still go out to get their catch every day.
Fishing isn't much of a tourist attraction here. Depending on the season, you have to go 3.5 or 4 km from the coast. Normally, you just go to a local fish market. There's a fish market in the area that's quite fun to see.
Lisbon is about an hour and a half away, by highway. Also, it's not a huge distance to the Spanish border. The biggest Spanish city in that direction is Seville, 240 km (149 miles) east.
Q. Portugal is famous for wine and olives. Do they grow on your coast?
There are more and more vineyards opening directly on the Algarve, but they still need a bit more time to produce great wines, especially the whites and roses. They're missing power on the roses. But within 50 km (31 miles), you can find vineyards producing the best wines in Portugal. It's a great day trip to visit them. You can even see how those black pigs are grown because they do combination farming - wine, cows and black pork.
