Peel Cabin

A shady, tranquil, off-grid, solar powered wooden cabin nestling in its own private olive grove on the banks of the Rio Guadiana. Peel Cabin provides amazing peace and quiet, fantastic birdlife, starry nights, great hiking and wild swimming. Laze in the hammock or hangout at the river jetty or on the day bed soaking up the heat, the sights and sounds of the wildlife, and this amazing river which forms the border between Portugal and Spain.

If you need supplies or fancy some exploring, it’s only 25 minutes walk along a scenic riverside Roman path to the local shops and bars of Sanlúcar de Guadiana and a 5 minute ferry trip to Alcoutim in Portugal. Your hosts, should you need anything, Dave and Anna, live only 2 minutes away but out of sight and sound. Their home grown produce will grace your welcome hamper when available. On arrival you and your luggage will be ferried to your own private jetty (tide permitting) by small boat from Sanlúcar de Guadiana in Spain or Alcoutim in Portugal. Of course, we’ll ferry you back too, when you check out.

Facilities

The cabin is decorated with Moroccan style decor and houses a comfortable king-size double bed. For winter stays there’s a cosy woodburning stove. Outside is the covered deck area with sofa bed (great for sleeping outside if you wish), dining table and camp kitchen with small sink and double burner gas cooker with a comprehensive range of essential cooking equipment, including moka coffee machine. By the side of the cabin you’ll find the outdoor heated (solar/gas) shower and roomy upcycled solar fridge. All electricity is from solar panels and batteries and is sufficient for small loads like charging laptops and phones. There’s a small gas barbeque too.

Getting there

If you’re flying, the nearest airport is Faro in Portugal, after that it’s Seville in Spain. If you come by car, it’s best to come to Sanlúcar de Guadiana. If you don’t want to hire a car and you’re feeling adventurous, you can travel by train from Faro to Vila Real de Santo Antonio (VRSA) where there are daily buses to Alcoutim. If bus times are inconvenient I can arrange to pick you up from Vila Real de Santo Antonio if necessary. On arrival in Sanlucar or Alcoutim I’ll come down in a small boat to pick you up.

Things to do

Both Sanlúcar de Guadiana and Alcoutim (a short ferry ride from Sanlúcar) have a few small shops and a range of bars which are generally amazing value. In summer it’s possible to hire kayaks to get out on the water and there’s the unique zipline across the river, Limite Zero, the first zipline in the world to cross an international border. Both towns each have a castle, and fascinating contrating cultures. There’s a river beach in Alcoutim with a great bar right next to it if you can't get to the coast, and in Sanlucar you will find El Cañizal, a bar right by the Guadiana with access to the river.

The Algarve’s famous beaches are only 40 minutes drive from Sanlúcar de Guadiana as well as the Costa de la Luz. For the more adventurous, Sevilla and the Coto Doñana are within 2 hours drive.