A Stylist' S Guide To Portugal

FROM THE FADED GLAMOUR OF LISBON TO THE SPLENDID ISOLATION OF THE SADO ESTUARY, PORTUGAL EXUDES AN AIR OF ROMANCE AND AN OLD-WORLD AMBIENCE.

- Sibella Court

Stay

CAB ANAS NO RIO BY SILENT LIVING The values of home, memory and simplicity that underline Silent Living’s approach to hospitality and their thoughtful collection of stays beckoned me to Portugal. I booked a night at their Cabanas no Rio, a secluded getaway about 1½ hours drive outside of Lisbon. The drive there isn’t of much note (although we did spot a flamboyance of flamingos on the way) but make sure to stop in at the nearby blue-and-white town of Comporta for some groceries and essentials.

From there, you continue on your journey to the cabanas in a location kept secret due to all the designophiles who flock to the magic of Silent Living places and spaces (naturally, directions are provided on booking). Before long, you turn off into sandy terrain scattered with cork and pine trees to meet the guide who will drive you in.

The two cabins are captivating in their simplicity. The low-pitched structures, clad inside and out in raw recycled timber with a directional flow from floor to ceiling, change shape as you walk around them, creating an optical illusion. All the while they meld with the surrounds of tidal wetlands, sandy dunes and water-drenched rice paddies rippling in the wind. One cabin serves as a lounge and day bar that converts to a hidden kitchen with sink and stovetop and the second includes a double bed, shower and toilet. The doors can be flung open wide to allow the elements to flow through the spaces, providing landscape views from multiple angles and transforming the shower from indoor to outdoor – very convenient when returning from water adventures on the Sado River or Comporta’s beaches.