COOL COMPORTA

THE ULTIMATE DINNER DATE Local favourite Sal puts a stylish twist on a seafood shack and serves up fresh fish washed down with tasty cocktails right on the beach; Praia do Pego, Carvalhal, restaurantesal.pt.

THE JOINT ADVENTURE There’s no better way to take in the stretching kilometres of beach than on horseback. Cavalos na Areia organises scenic rides on their majestic (but gentle and patient) steeds. From €60, cavalosnaareia.com.

THE DAY TRIP Head for a hippy chic shopping spree in Comporta village. The town is packed with boutiques selling wares in the famed “Comporta style” – an eclectic mix of local and international, boho yet luxe, urban and rustic.

THE MUST-SEE ATTRACTION Carrasqueira fishing port is a shambly, charming collection of piers and walkways built entirely on wooden stilts. The perfect place for a quirky sunset walk.

WHAT TO BUY Want a peek at some of the homes the A-list live in? Comporta

Bliss (Assouline, €85), written by Valentino ambassador and Architectural Digest contributing editor Carlos Souza, takes you behind the doors of some of the region’s chicest retreats.

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Those lush rice fields come with a cost – an abundance of mosquitoes at sunset. Several local stores sell mosquito-repellent perfume and cologne, but bring some of your own, just in case.