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Vila Joya
Albufeira, Portugal · Independent · High Luxury
The first restaurant in Portugal to earn two Michelin stars still cooks a new menu every day under Austrian chef Dieter Koschina, who has held the second star since 1999. Claudia Jung turned this clifftop house above Praia da Galé into a 13-room hideaway in 1982; her daughter Joy has run it since 2003. Four rooms and nine suites, all facing the Atlantic, carry MICHELIN Two Keys.
- 13 rooms
- Opened 1982
- Neighborhood: Galé
About Vila Joya
- Chef Dieter Koschina arrived from Austria in 1991; Vila Joya took its first Michelin star in 1995 and a second in 1999, becoming the first restaurant in Portugal to hold two.
- Koschina still writes a new tasting menu every day, more than two decades after the second star.
- Claudia Jung bought the unfinished clifftop house above Praia da Galé in 1982 as a family home; her daughter Joy has managed the hotel since 2003.
- Thirteen sea-view rooms and suites (four rooms, nine suites) sit in Moorish-tinged gardens on the protected Atlantic coast west of Albufeira.
- Overlooks Atlantic Ocean.
The setting
43 km from Quinta do Lago Sul golf course. 9 km from A22 road.
Restaurants and bars
- Vila Joya — Restaurant · Daily changing menu, fine dining · Chef Dieter Koschina · Two MICHELIN Stars
- Michelin Star Restaurant — Restaurant · Inspired gourmet cuisine · Chef Dieter Koschina
- Vila Joya SEA, the beach shack — Poolside
Experiences
- Vila Joya SEA beach shack — Relaxed bohemian beach shack in the dunes for lunch, dinner or a sundowner.
- Pool restaurant — Lunch-only restaurant by the pool serving light, fresh dishes with garden views.
- Spa treatments — Massage and relaxing and detoxifying treatments in a spa with ocean sounds and Oriental-inspired interiors.
- Private yoga sessions — Private yoga wherever and whenever guests like, from overlooking the ocean to under the stars.
- Fully equipped gym — On-site gym for guests.
- Sauna, steam and Jacuzzi — Sauna, steam and Jacuzzi facilities to unwind.
Amenities
- Spa
- Pool
- Private pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Private beach
Awards
- MICHELIN Two Keys (2026)
Open Vila Joya in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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