Hotel do Muxito, Former hotel complex in Cruz de Pau, Portugal
Hotel do Muxito is a former hotel complex in Amora, Portugal, made up of thirteen villas, an equestrian center, a nightclub, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The grounds cover a large wooded area along National Road 10, with several buildings now in different states of disrepair.
The resort opened in 1957 as a high-end destination and attracted national and international football teams, then closed in 1973 due to financial difficulties. After closing, the grounds were used for different purposes over the years, including as a military training area and a school.
Hotel do Muxito was conceived in the 1950s as a place where Portugal could welcome visitors from home and abroad, and its design reflected the era's desire to project a modern national image. Traces of that ambition are still visible in the remaining structures, where modernist lines meet details drawn from colonial building traditions.
The site sits directly along National Road 10 and is easy to reach by car from Lisbon or from the south. The grounds are large, so wearing comfortable shoes and allowing plenty of time is a good idea before heading in.
The swimming pool at the complex had a 10-meter diving platform, which was the first of its kind in Portugal when it opened in 1957. Guests could also borrow motor vehicles to move around the wooded grounds, which contained a small bullring among the trees.
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