Surrounded by the active life of Praia da Rocha, it is an oasis of calm encircled by its own gardens. It is at once away from, and part of, the life of Praia da Rocha.

Totally in keeping with the glamour of the turn of the century, the hotel maintains much of its original decor. In some rooms and common areas there are 17th and 18th century tiles and ceilings of precious Brazilian wood, worked and painted by Pereira Cao.

The tiles tell the history of the golden age of the Portuguese Discoveries. There are quotations from "Os Lusiadas" (an epic work of the great Portuguese poet Luis Vaz de Camoes) and of the Arab occupation of the Iberian Peninsula.

Built as the private residence of a wealthy family, Magalhaes Barros, it was later leased to a cousin, Henrique Bivar de Vasconcelos, who transformed it into an hotel in the 1930s, at a time when the first tourists discovered the Algarve arriving at Praia da Rocha by boat.

The hotel preserves its history and its treasures from a glorious past, and with its simplicity, the friendly and dedicated staff, it as if you were visiting friends and family with none of the impersonal atmosphere of the large hotels.

Hotel Bela Vista has 14 bedrooms and 2 suites. They all have an en suite bathroom, television, telephone, radio and mini-bar.

Curious facts
One of the most outstanding periods of Bela Vista was during the years of World War II. Portugal, being neutral, The Hotel Bela Vista became a meeting place for spies, secret agents and "postmen", especially for those who valued the hotel's location by the sea.

It has always kept its guestbooks, which are a "living" record of well spent vacations.  The older ones include signatures and comments by Sidonio Pais (former Portuguese President), by the king Humberto de Saboya and Fuljencio Baptista (after Fidel Castro took power in Cuba). A signed manuscript by the personal doctor of Mannerheim of Finland describes the magnificent time they spent in the hotel anh how the hero left after fully recovered after two months.

And something very curious happened about fifty years ago...
A less well-intentioned employee stole a guest's money and letters which should have been sent by mail. He kept the money and hid the letters in reception. Thirty-five years later, during the hotel's restoration, the letters were discovered and posted. Some time later, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren from the addresses arrived at the Hotel. They came from all over the world, including Australia and the United States.

Esplanada das Palmeiras
During the summer the Palm Tree Garden at the hotel is open to non guests. This is an area covered by palm trees where tropical cocktail parties are held. There is a bar service, live end recorded music always at a volume where conversation is possible.

Hotel Bela Vista is a place for the whole family, with no age restriction. It is simple and charming.