Casa Lavra

Portella’s remarkable rebirth after the destruction of 2014 includes a handful of lovely, bright, characterful places to stay within this still-regrowing village. Casa Lavra is such a place.

Accommodation is simple and clean with the essentials you need for a stay up here in the Caldeira. Based around a series of bright courtyards, lovingly planted with colourful flowers and painted brightly too, accommodation is in several blocks spread through this part of regrowing Portella.

The site itself is also still growing with the addition of rooms bearing the traditional round house construction. Some are complete and some are still being made. Construction here isn’t on an industrial scale and the continuing rebuild by hand won’t interrupt your stay. More likely you’ll be fascinated by the building techniques – sieving the volcanic ash and combining this with concrete to make the blocks forming the house walls.

Rooms are ensuite. There’s solar hot water on the roof of the building but we don’t advise you that come here to the Caldeira expecting any luxury. It’s all about the experience of staying up here on the crater floor, views to the upper cone a constant reminder of the volcano’s presence.

The on site restaurant provides excellent dishes and so stays here can be on a bed and breakfast or half board basis.