The coast with the most
Designers and royalty are flocking to Portugal’s Comporta and discovering that it’s..
All we can hear are waves and the soft thud of hooves as we plod along the dunes. We’re horseriding on the beaches of Comporta, an hour south of Portugal’s capital lisbon — its seclusion and understated vibe has long drawn designers, celebrities and even royals, most notably Princess Caroline of Monaco.
Now, added to that is Princess Eugenie, who spends half her year here, thanks to husband Jack Brooksbank’s property marketing job.
Unspoilt beaches, top notch food, natural beauty and a real getting-away-from-it-all feeling make this an easy destination to extend a weekend break in lisbon or to visit independently.
As we saunter along the sand, there are no buildings for miles. ‘This coastline is protected from over- development. It’s very strict,’ our guide Vasco, from Cavalos na Areia, ( translated is Horses in the Sand), says. Swooping overhead are the birds. There are more than 200 species in the region, including storks ( the emblem of Comporta) which nest in pairs from the chimneys and rooftops of the village.
Our nest is Herdade da Comporta, a villa complex of six cabanas which sleeps up to 16 people and has its own private beach.
‘People like it here because it’s so low-key,’ says Herdade’s laidback owner Manrico Iachia. ‘You just come to relax, switch off.’ Herdade can design the stay you want — everything from yoga classes on the beach, dolphin watching in the Sado estuary, kayaking or even surfing lessons.
Manrico’s late wife Vera pioneered the Estilo Comporta or ‘Comporta look’. While doing up the villa’s cabanas in the 1990s, the designer brought in natural fabrics, rattan shades, handmade pottery and bright rugs and throws, mixing local style with cosmopolitan flair.
One afternoon, we stop at Sublime, a beachside restaurant where we dine on lobster rolls and ceviche, feet in sand, glass of rose in hand, before finishing off at Herdade da Comporta Foundation and Winery. For 20 Euros we tourt theth cellars,ll ttastingti wines. i We leave armed with bottles of the stuff, plus rice, from the gift shop. The vines and rice are grown in the same soil, and with the slight saltiness from the sea, have a distinct flavour.
Comporta has its own distinct feel. It’s a place to savour and take your time. Or, as they say in Portugese, ‘ tranquilidade’, or tranquility, and we could all do with some of that.
TRAVEL FACTS
VILLAS in the Comporta region with The Luxury Travel Book are from £1,500 a week ( theluxurytravelbook. TAP Air has London Heathrow to Lisbon returns from £108 ( flytap.com).