It seems like something out of an elven fantasy novel: a hidden home with entry requiring a descent into the depths of terra firma. Serenely buried in the knolls of Portugal’s Alentejo region, Casa na Terra, a three-bedroom retreat, is one of the most unique offerings on the European vacation rental market.

Meaning “house in the earth,” the home’s name is extremely fitting, as the structure is organically camouflaged into a field of waving grasses and just a stone’s throw from the waters of Alqueva — Europe’s largest manmade lake.
The secret dwelling is the latest to be acquired by the Silent Living rental property group, a company dedicated to “the search for happiness and fulfillment” by providing patrons “a feeling of home.” According to its website, Casa na Terra fits instinctively within its carefully-curated portfolio as “the house honors very deeply its natural surroundings, finding shelter in the land itself.”
For this construction, the firm notes that “faced with the boundless extents of the Alqueva lake, the house require[d] a center: a protected courtyard embracing the water.” Indeed, the only feature visible from the lake is this focal piece, with the carved-out dome perched neatly over the concealed interior. The courtyard also opens into separate kitchen and living spaces that connect to the three en suite bedrooms via zig-zagging hallways. Each bedroom in turn opens on...