Finding the perfect spot in the Hamptons of Portugal

Comporta's magic, with its trendy restaurants and boho chic ambience, is now an open secret. But Victoria Harper helps us search out its old-school cool, on the beach and nearby

- Victoria Harper

I first discovered Comporta nearly 10 years ago. An unspoilt beach area just over an hour’s drive from Lisbon, this was where the smart set from the city and in-the-know Europeans had their holiday homes. On the southwest coast, it sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sado River estuary, where cork and pine forests give way to long stretches of powdery white sand (where Madonna apparently went to ride her horses when she lived in Lisbon). It was so chic; it even had its own signature look: Comporta style.

Arriving for my first visit in the summer of 2017, I got it. Comporta was a vibe: think razor clams, bleached-wood cabanas and no-fuss beachside shacks serving the best giant grilled bass with a side of garlic-soaked boutique. Brightly coloured throws were unfurled casually between wild dunes, and sunbathers were taken in cool kaftans on sunken beach beanbags to chilled-out tunes. It was Ibiza away. This really was an undiscovered gem – but I was blown away. Portugal or its Hamptons? I couldn’t decide.

Nearly a decade on, that debate has at least been settled. This is now firmly known as the Hamptons of Europe, and it’s certainly no longer the secret it once was. While much of the land remains protected and unspoilt, no highrises here, thank you very much, this is where you’ll find some of the most expensive real estate in Europe.

And the Comporta crowd has spread its wings too, right down to Grândola and Melides – where hotel Christian Louboutin opened his stunning Vermelho boutique hotel a couple of years ago. Stylish eco-resorts are dotted between the famous beaches, and you’ll also find a Costaflora enclave where George Clooney, just a golf resort, is now settled & Ocean Club – more than Sharon Stone, and Princess Eugenie with her husband Jack Brooksbank, retreat in luxurious privacy. Even Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are rumoured to be scoping out a home here.