O Variante de Olhão & Chalé Bela Mandil

Chalé Bela Mandil & the new 'O Varinante de Olhão'

The construction of the “Olhão bypass” (“Variante de Olhão”) is progressing steadily and will almost certainly be brought into use this year. The bypass is designed to relieve the N125, which currently still runs through the densely built outer districts of Olhão and the Ria Shopping, where it forms long traffic queues at the edge of the city during rush hour. The new bypass runs completely around the city, interrupted only by a small number of roundabouts, allowing through-traffic to avoid the urban area entirely.

New points of view from O Variante

A new road always creates new points of view. Where once there was an untouched agricultural landscape, a brand-new, freshly asphalted two-lane road now cuts its way through the terrain. New road signs and new guardrails define mainly the atmosphere, It's just a shame there's no (separated) bike path along the road. It would have been a small effort, and only an extra meter and a half of macadam and would have been a great way to connect the Ecovias to Olhão in the future.

.Suddenly, several buildings that once lay far away in the landscape now appear much closer to the road. One of these buildings, which has suddenly become highly visible, is Chalé Bela Mandil. When I cycle on an still empty bypass on Carnival Monday, it suddenly emerges from behind the pine trees. Majestic and serene, the estate basks in the sunlight after weeks of storm, rain, and cold. I had written about it once before, but then only from a great distance.

Chalé Bela Mandil (Olhão)

Chalé Bela Mandil

It was here that Manuel Bivar built his Chalé Bela Mandil (“beautiful apron”). Tragically, he died in 1901, on the very day the house was inaugurated. The highest point of the estate, from where the river mouth could be seen, was known as the “yellow tower” and served as a geodetic landmark for navigation.

Historical Photos of Chalé Bela Mandil

The red-and-yellow striped chal was surrounded by a group of monumental trees, comparable to those in the Jardim da Alameda in Faro, a botanical garden also designed by Manuel Bivar. He was one of the first agronomists in the Algarve and developed an innovative agricultural system on the 200-hectare estate, including an advanced irrigation network that supplied the cities of Faro and Olhão with food for decades.

On the roadside, near the Bela Mandil estate, there is a commemorative plaque recalling a historic event that took place here in 1947. (For more information about the 1947 historic event from a manifestation against the dictatorschip of Salazar) : www.olhaocubista.pt/FestaBelamandil.htm)

The text reads:

Commemorative plaque near Bela Mandil estate

In this forest of Bela Mandil, on 23 March 1947, at the initiative of MUD Juvenil, a large gathering took place of young people from almost the entire Algarve, who wished to peacefully express their struggle against dictatorship and their aspiration for democracy. During the gathering, they were surprised by an armed force of the GNR and police, who attempted to disperse the demonstrators. But they remained ‘united like the fingers of a hand’ and later marched on singing, watched by the GNR, who in desperation fired several shots as they entered Olhão, where this remarkable demonstration took place.

Building close to O Variante with noise barrier and a (lifted) container house

Chalé Bela Mandil still lies at some distance from the new bypass, which will soon carry a steady flow of new visitors along the edges of Olhão, offering unexpected glimpses of the city and even the sea, alternating with small pine forests. But in terms of distance, not everyone has been as fortunate as Bela Mandil. The buildings near the roundabout that channels traffic from Quelfes to Olhão have been less lucky, and a noise barrier has even been constructed in an attempt to preserve some quality of life. There is also a container home, probably serving as a replacement for an older house that once stood directly 'in the path' of the new road.