Casa Calmaria Beja

As long as I can remember, I have always wanted a place to receive people, where I could share experiences and get to know other cultures. The opportunity to travel, and the fact of having lived outside of Portugal, sharpened that desire even more. In 2019, I decided to undertake the change that would start this project. The decision process was not easy. After all, I would leave behind a professional career of more than 20 years, which was at its peak. Born in Maia, in the north of Portugal, I created ties with Beja through family relationships and friendship. The connection grew as I got to know the city. I fell in love with its hospitality, its history and culture, its traditions, its cuisine, and quality of life. When investing, I didn't hesitate: the millinery Pax-Julia would be my choice. Casa Calmaria is the realization of a dream. A life project that reflects my desire to know, travel and share. But also, my commitment to contributing to a more sustainable world and the genuine love I feel for the territory. More than a word, Calmaria is a journey. An experience. A house where everyone is invited to enter.

Casa Calmaria is in the one of the most emblematic squares in Beja, in the heart of the historic center and the shopping area of the city: the Square Diogo Fernandes, also known as Jardim do Bacalhau (directly translated as Codfish Garden because of it trapezoidal shape). As the city, Casa Calmaria is shrouded in history, since it has as neighbors some of the most relevant monuments and cultural spaces in Beja, such as the Castle, Beja regional museum and Pax Julia Municipal Theater. However, and despite its 70 years of existence, the history of the house is more recent. Totally renovated in 2021, it was known for being a cult place for women beauty, where for 50 years worked several hairdressers, one of them known by everyone in the city as “Hairdresser Mr. Gonçalves”. Lately, it was a place dedicated to fashion and sewing, and called as “Sewing House”. Casa Calmaria has 3 apartments, fully equipped, to provide a charming, welcoming, and innovative stay in the historic center of Beja. We are engaged in promoting the sustainable tourism in the Baixo Alentejo region and sensitize visitors and the local community to the preservation of the region’s heritage. The price includes breakfast that is served in a different location, 200m from our accomodation. The access to the upper level is made by stairs.

Our property is located in the historic center and shopping area of the city. This means we are in a walking distance of all relevant restaurants, monuments and cultural places: Medieval Castle, Beja Regional Museum, Jorge Vieira Museum, Visigoth Center of the Regional Museum, Pax Julia Municipal Theater. In the surroundings of the city, it is possible to visit the vineyards and cellars, and taste the best Alentejo's wine. If you appreciate nature, you can do the pedestrian routes and enjoy the biodiversity of the region and see a magnificent sunset at "Praia dos 5 Reis" with Alentejo's plain as background.