Famous faces such as Christian Louboutin, Andrea Casiraghi, Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni and Madonna, holiday there every summer.
Designed as the ‘Saint-Tropez’ of Portugal, Comporta has become one of the favourite destinations of the international ‘jet set’. Christian Louboutin, Andrea Casiraghi, Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni, Madonna and Eugenia Silva are just some of the celebrities who holiday there every summer.
An hour’s drive south from Lisbon, this paradise of clear waters and wild vegetation is flanked by the Sado River Natural Reserve, the Atlantic Ocean and the Troia Peninsula.
If the seaway is chosen, it is best to take a ferry from Setúbal where you can see the flora and fauna of its ecosystem. Storks, flamingos and 200 different birds fly over the surroundings of Troia, where groups of dolphins (golfinhos) also live. As well as that, there are the Roman ruins from the first saltworks which remain intact despite having eroded over time.
A tribute to the slow life
Along the 60km of beaches, visitors will be able to find protected dunes, extensive rice fields and wooden huts whose base is the sand of the beach itself. Nothing is everything. A tribute to the slow life.
A landscape which encourages enjoyment and continuous evasion. There, different activities such as surfing on the Pego beach, horseback riding through the white sands of Carvalhal, long walks through the pinheiros mansos (pine trees) or watching the sunsets from the palafitte port of Carrasqueira, can all be enjoyed. Portugal’s best kept secret reveals its purest light without any filter. Not even seen on Instagram.
Carrasqueira
The limited hotel supply and the protection of the area as a nature reserve has contributed to the preservation of its surroundings. Acquired in 1955 by the Espírito Santo family of bankers, this territory was expropriated in 1975 during the Carnation Revolution. It would not be until 1991 when the family would recover this land, which also has incorporated the entrepreneur, Pedro de Almeida, as an owner with 59% of the capital from the real estate fund.
Preservers of sustainable tourism, the Espírito Santo family and Almeida have created a premium resort through the original buildings and the protection of its essence.
Intimacy between linen and esparto
With a small population of 3.600 inhabitants, this Portuguese oasis is full of little secret places, hidden ceramic, linen or esparto shops and boho-chic gastronomic spaces. The Museo do Arroz, an old rice mill converted into a luxurious restaurant is a clear example of this. Its tamboril rice, its rice with choco, their farinheira eggs or its grellado (grilled) fish are famous. Signature dishes like those from yesteryear.
This preservation of the authentic essence is also transferred to the old fishermen’s houses, which today are tourist resorts. Built with wood, straw, heather or sand, these spaces are characterised by their intimacy and simplicity. The Comporta lifestyle, life without time. An eco-chic essence.
In the heart of the Estuário do Sado Natural Reserve, Casas Na Areia is a complex of four houses built a stone’s throw away from the Atlantic. From the designer, Manuel Aires Mateus, these buildings encourage a quiet life from the dunes of the beach.
With no television, internet, or telephone, this area was created so that people can leave the external noise and the daily timer behind. Made of wood, cane, straw and white concrete, each of these cabins begins and ends on the beach, since the floor is the sand itself. Immersive architecture that takes advantage of its own natural resources which, does not create contrasts but silence and aesthetic sensibility (silent living). Having less to live longer. Minimalism which looks for personal satisfaction.
Sublime is a majestic estate made up of by 17 hectares of pine trees and cork oak trees. A complex composed of 14 rooms, suites and cabins with 2, 3, 4 and 5 rooms. Among its amenities, not only is there private outdoor terrain, and your own pool, but also a spa and a gym.
In this resort, three unique gastronomic experiences in which local products are prioritised can be found. Food Cercle, an organic outdoor restaurant in the middle of a garden, is based on the principles of permaculture and traditional cooking. With enough room for up to 12 people, those who go there will be able to try the most exclusive wines and dishes from the region.
Sem Porta mixes architecture, vegetation and local gastronomy. Fresh products from the region are paired with the wines of the area in a building with a strong historical character.
Com Brasa includes a restaurant and a pool bar that serves the best cocktails in this haven.
With the fine sand of Pego beach and the Atlantic Ocean in the background, Sal is one of the most emblematic places in the area where traditional dishes such as fresh fish soup, camarão ao alhinho or amêijoas à Bulhão Pato can be tried.
Overseen by Jean Pierre Martel, the interiors in this space focus on avant-garde elements with warm tones which reproduce the exoticism of the far east.
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