Holiday park Pedras d'El Rei

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Pedras d'El Rei’ means “Stones of the King” and refers ito the ancient carved stones found in this area. The area belonged to the suburb of an important ancient Roman city of Balsa in the province of Lusitania, which had its peak during the 'Pax Romana'. The forum of Balsa was located at a nearby site and its name possibly derived from ‘Baal Saphon’, a Phoenician god of thunder and the sea. Between the 8th and 13th centuries, the Moors settled in nearby Tavira and Balsa was abandoned. Further research using non-invasive methods has been carried out in recent years, but private ownership, political unwillingness and lack of funding finances are holding back sustainable scientific research.

The construction of Pedras d'El Rei dates back to 1969. It is one of the first resorts in the Algarve. Its location is right opposite the Ria Formosa and Praia do Barril. Pedras d'El Rei covers an area of about 35 hectares and consists of T0 and T1 flats and villas in typologies V1, V2, V3, V4, with large gardens. The property is set in a fantastic sloping landscape, with most of the trees spared during the layout. One of the olive trees still standing in Pedras d'el Rei is estimated to be around 2,000 years old. The houses - 840 in total - were built simply and in different ‘architectural styles’. Influenced by the findings of a 'National Survey of Portuguese popular Architecture' in the 1955/60s.

I don't know if he is also the designer of the project , but the project was coordinated by architect Fernando Viana. Also involved were engineer José Pimentel Fragoso and landscape architect Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles, who later became Ministro de Estado e da Qualidade de Vida.