Our Insider’s Guide to Comporta in Portugal

LAST UPDATED:
November 6, 2023

We enjoy Comporta for the pine-scented wilderness, laid-back beachy vibes, excellent food and gorgeous boutiques.

Our Insider’s Guide to Comporta in Portugal

We enjoy Comporta for the pine-scented wilderness, laid-back beachy vibes, excellent food and gorgeous boutiques.



What's Comporta about?

Sandy road in the Comporta region, with Sado's estuary on the background


Comporta is a region located between the municipalities of Alcácer do Sal and Grândola, on the Alentejo coast of Portugal. It’s only a 90-minute drive from Lisbon, although you’ll feel a world away.

Forming part of the nature reserve of the Sado Estuary, Comporta has a remarkable diversity of natural systems with long stretches of beach, windswept dunes, scenic pine forests, salt marshes and rice paddies which become a vibrant green in June. The region is visited by over 200 bird species from all over the world, and you will for sure see many white storks, the emblem of Comporta.

This wild and unspoilt part of Portugal attracts an in-the-know international crowd, including renowned artists, designers, and A-listers. However, Comporta still manages to pull a mellow, low-key beachy vibe. After all, it’s said this is where people come to be anonymous, and it’s okay if you don’t fancy dressing up for dinner.

Storks on the roofs of Comporta Village
Storks hanging in Comporta Village

There are a few villages in Comporta, including the self-named Comporta Village, which are easily explored by car at short distances and are all part of this region’s idyllic scenery (note that due to the spread-out nature of the region, having a car is essential to explore the best of what Comporta has to offer).

The region is well preserved for two main reasons, which we will try to summarise quickly. Firstly, much of Comporta sits in a strictly protected nature reserve; Secondly, since the 1950s much of it was privately owned by a single Portuguese family, the Espírito Santo’s, and only a few private holiday homes existed. But in recent years some of the land has been sold and the area has now opened up to high-quality, sustainable tourism. 

In 2014 Sublime Comporta was the first hotel to open in Comporta. Since then, a few others have followed.

A wooden villa with swimming pool surrounded by pine trees in Sublime Comporta five-star resort
Sublime Comporta was the first hotel to open in Comporta, in 2014

Despite all of this, construction is still strict, and thankfully development is not allowed within 500 meters of the beach. The architecture of the new builds continues to be primarily influenced by the huts of local fishermen and farmers, with thatched roofs and wooden and reed walls. The décor is often rustic-chic with all the modern comforts, coining the term Comporta Style.

Read on to discover our top picks of Boutique Hotels and Villas in Comporta.

Boutique Hotels in
Comporta

Joana at the terrace of one of the villas of Sublime Comporta Country Retreat & SPA.

Sublime Comporta

Sublime Comporta is a stunning nature retreat in a 17-hectare estate surrounded by pine, cork trees, dunes, rice fields, and white-sand beaches. Accommodation options are spread across several buildings, including two- to five-bedroom cabana-style villas. Each villa has its own pool; four more are in the resort, including a children's pool and a heated indoor pool. The architecture is inspired by local cabanas.

40-metre amazing swimming pool at Quinta da Comporta, a five-star spa hotel in Portugal

Quinta da Comporta

Quinta da Comporta is a luxury five-star wellness boutique resort located in the idyllic nature of Comporta, Portugal. Choose from different types of accommodation, including three-bedroom Pool Villas, Townhouses, Rooms & Suites. Highlights include a 40-meter-long infinity pool, an organic restaurant (Mar D'Arrozal), a spa with an indoor/outdoor heated pool, hammam, sauna, interior gym, and a well-equipped gym. Carvalhal Beach is a five-minute drive from Quinta da Comporta.


Aerial view of Spatia Comporta, a boutique hotel in Comporta.

Spatia Comporta

Spatia Comporta offers rooms and villas set in pristine woodland, blending naturally into their surroundings. All rooms have a large floor area of over 40 square metres, using glass and wood to create a smooth flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. There’s a restaurant, an outdoor swimming pool, a bar and a shared lounge area.

B.Hostel a boutique guesthouse in Comporta.

B.Hostel

B. Hostel is a stylish boutique guesthouse in Brejos in Comporta. It offers nine rooms, an open-plan communal kitchen, a large living room with floor-to-ceiling windows, a terrace, and a small swimming pool. Guests can rent individual rooms or the whole building. Its laid-back homely vibe makes it the perfect choice for exploring Comporta without compromising on style or breaking the bank.

Handpicked Holiday Villas
in Comporta

Casa Maritima is an holiday villa in Carvalhal, in Comporta.

Casa Marítima

This stunning five-bedroom villa near Pego and Carvalhal beaches in Comporta boasts a dreamy infinity pool and lush garden. Walk along the sensory path lined with fragrant rosemary, lavender, and more. The spacious villa features Comporta-style architecture, three double-bedroom suites, and an open-plan living room and kitchen that leads to an outdoor terrace. Decorated by Barracuda Interiors with a mix of Portuguese crafts and late-20th-century furniture, it also showcases a collection of ocean-related objects reflecting the owner's passion for the sea.

Cabana Lavanda, a holiday home in Comporta.

Cabana Lavanda

Cabana Lavanda is a boutique villa in Comporta, surrounded by fragrant lavender fields. It boasts four bedrooms: three en-suites on the ground floor and one on the upper floor, complete with its own living area. With the capacity to comfortably accommodate ten people, it serves as an ideal retreat for family gatherings or groups of friends. Some of the highlights include a spacious kitchen that opens up to the living room, with exposed wooden beams, large windows, cosy sofas, plus heated floors and an indoor fireplace. Outside, a boomerang-shaped 18-metre length infinity pool, poolside cabin, dual porches, and a terrace provide a variety of spaces to savour the holiday.

Swimming pool and sun loungers at Casa de Arroz villa in Comporta

Casas de Arroz

Casas de Arroz offers a peaceful refuge in the village of Possanco, just a few minutes from Comporta's famous beach and picturesque port. Casas de Arroz consists of four independent cabins that overlook the rice fields and meadows, with an infinity pool and a white sand garden. The cabins are made of traditional masonry, thatch, and local wood, paying tribute to the fishing huts of Comporta. The rooms are sunny, comfortable, and open to the outside, with individual terraces.

Campo de Arroz, a white beach house with a swimming pool in Comporta surrounded by foresto

Campo de Arroz

Campo de Arroz is a holiday villa with an inviting swimming pool located in Comporta’s magnificent rice fields near the beaches of Carvalhal and Pego. With the capacity to accommodate up to 10 people, the house comprises a main house and an independent cabin set in a beautifully landscaped garden. You can rent the home and the cabin together or separately, and in the latter case, the swimming pool area is exclusively reserved for the main house guests.

Swimming pool and sun loungers at Flor de Arroz, a holiday villa in Comporta

Flor de Arroz

This gorgeous boutique stay offers a two-bedroom villa with an adjacent two room cabin, accommodating up to eight people in total. Flor de Arroz is located at the foot of the magnificent rice fields of Comporta in Lagoa Formosa.

Outdoor terrace and swimming pool at Manos 114, a three-bedroom villa in Comporta

Manos 114

Manos 114 is a cosy three-bedroom villa located in Comporta, just a five-minute drive from the beaches of Carvalhal and Pego. Surrounded by pine trees, this is the perfect place to relax and to enjoy morning and evening walks. The villa is a perfect retreat all year round, including in winter by the fireplace.

Precious Cabin in Comporta - Holiday Home

Cabin in Comporta

This stylish modern cabin in Comporta has spectacular views and is within walking distance to the beach and the village. The house has two bedrooms, one with a double bed and the other with a bunk bed - ideal for a family with kids or a couple. A swimming pool is a recent addition.

Living room with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the garden, at Precious House in Comporta

Precious House in Comporta

Precious House in Comporta is a modern, well-designed three-bedroom villa in Comporta, surrounded by a natural landscape of pines and eucalyptus. The house comprises three bedrooms, two bathrooms, laundry space and an open plan kitchen to a 60sqm living room. There’s a 12-metre lap pool and a sun deck.


Those are what we consider to be some of the Best Boutique Hotels and Villas in Comporta right now. If you are exploring other areas you might also want to check out our Handpicked Hotels in Melides.

Read on for our top picks of Awesome Things to Do in Comporta.

Awesome Things to Do and See in Comporta

An important thing to bear in mind is that Comporta is seasonal, with some eateries and shops only open during the summer months. Also, some restaurants are not open every day, so we recommend that you check beforehand.

<text-caps>Things to Do<text-caps>

Relax and enjoy the surrounding nature 🌾
People come to Comporta to switch off and relax. The fresh air, the surrounding pine and cork trees, the rice paddies, the dunes, the sea... it's all wonderfully good for the senses.

Hit the Beach 🏖️
Comporta boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe, stretching 60 km of coastline with white sandy beaches. Do not let the crystalline waters mislead you. This is the Atlantic Ocean, and the water can be pretty refreshing (that is, in a cold kind of way) with an annual average of 17°C. But it goes down a treat during those hot Alentejo summer days.

The three main beaches in Comporta are Praia da Comporta, Praia do Carvalhal and Praia do Pego. Each has a restaurant or two, toilets and lifeguards during the summer season.

If you feel adventurous, you could explore other lesser-known beaches, such as Praia dos Brejos and Praia do Pinheirinho towards Melides, but these are harder to reach with some walking involved, plus we don't recommend fully relying on the GPS.

Horse Riding with
Cavalos na Areia 🐎
Go horse riding along the rice paddies, through the pine forest and the dunes until the beach is reached. Experiencing this slice of paradise on a beautiful horse is hands down one of our top favourite things to do in Comporta.

Enjoy a yoga class at the beautiful Comporta Yoga Shala 🧘
This seasonal (May to October) shala is located in the middle of a pine tree forest, with bright green rice fields on your horizon, ending with infinite dunes. They offer yoga classes, sound journeys, ceremonies, ecstatic dance, rituals, therapies, etc.

Surf and SUP with Surf in Comporta 🏄
Take a surf lesson or hire some equipment with Surf in Comporta, located in Carvalhal Beach. They also do interesting SUP tours, such as through Carvalhal’s dreamy rice fields.


Surf in Comporta's surf school wooden hut on Carvalhal's beach
Try a surf lesson or go on a SUP tour with Surf in Comporta


Watch Dolphins and Flamingos with
Vertigem Azul 🐬
​​Get aboard a catamaran sailboat to spot dolphins and flamingos along with the magnificent landscapes of Arrabida, Troia’s Coast and the Sado’s Estuary.

Admire port Palafítico da Carrasqueira at sunset 🌅
This pier, built on irregular wooden stilts, dates back to the 1950s and 1960s and it’s where the local fishing boats moor. We adore this work-of-art of popular architecture.

Great Places to Eat in Comporta

The food in Comporta is seriously good, with much of the produce being sourced from local organic farmers and fishers. We are drooling just thinking about it. The following are our favourite places to eat in Comporta.

<text-caps>At the Beach<text-caps>

Sublime Comporta Beach Club
For a meal at the beach in style, you have Sublime Beach Club in Carvalhal Beach. Giant prawns, zingy oysters, tuna tatakis, lobster rolls and so on.


<text-caps>Comporta Village & Around<text-caps>

São João
This is our favourite restaurant in Comporta for a classic traditional Portuguese meal. The filetes de peixe galo com arroz de coentros e amêijoas (battered fish fillets with clams and coriander rice) are something else.

‍Cavalariça Comporta
Creative small dishes for sharing, plus yummy cocktails in a former stable. Even though it’s hard to pick, Cavalariça Comporta is probably our favourite restaurant in Comporta.

‍Jacaré da Comporta
Italian food and a cool vibe. A little bit on the pricey side, but delicious.

‍Gomes Casa de Vinhos & Petiscos
This family-run restaurant is located right in the heart of Comporta Village, with outdoor tables in a charming public garden. They serve tasty petiscos (Portuguese-style tapas) and a great selection of wine. Think regional artisan cheese, bolinhos de bacalhau (codfish croquettes) and stuffed meats such as chorizo.

Food Circle - Sublime Comporta

Sublime Comporta’s farm-to-table fine dining restaurant is located in the middle of a garden, with 12 diners sitting around a semi-circle table watching the chefs in action. This is a fantastic experience for those in the mood to splurge on their taste buds.

Mar d'Arrozal - Quinta da Comporta
This is Quinta da Comporta's farm-to-table restaurant. Chef João Sousa creates tasty seasonal dishes with locally sourced ingredients. We only came here for lunch but very much enjoyed our tuna burgers, the chilled vibes and the magnificent view over the rice fields. The restaurant is right next to the hotel’s 40 meter-long solar heated infinity pool overlooking the rice fields.

Colmo Bar
Self-described as ‘The mighty tiny bar of Comporta’. Breakfast, healthy juices, summer lunches, local wines and sunset cocktails.

Sal Burger
This food-truck restaurant has been serving fabulous burgers in Carvalhal since 2014. Picnic tables are spread on a sandy courtyard with a beachy fun atmosphere. Opened during the summer season only.

outdoor space of Colmo Bar in Comporta, with colourful pillows and blue steps leading to the inside
Colmo Bar, in Comporta Village

Cool Boutique Shops in Comporta

Products on display at the shop "A Loja do Museu de Arroz in Comporta" (The Shop of The Rice Museum)


Although Comporta Village is tiny, it's home to a delightful array of boutique shops. Something to bear in mind is that most shops close at lunchtime and reopen later in the afternoon. Here are some of our favourite shops in Comporta.

<text-caps>Shops<text-caps>

Rice - Marta Mantero
Marta Mantero is a renowned Portuguese interior designer. In 2012 she opened her store Rice in Comporta, where you can find exclusive interior design pieces and accessories carefully curated by Marta.

Lavanda
This shop in Comporta was opened in 2010 by Cathrine Austad, a Norwegian who fell in love with the region. They sell handmade Portuguese House linen and lined baskets, unique furniture, plus women's and men's clothing with a flair of bohemian chic. 

A Loja do Museu do Arroz
Not to be confused with the museum and restaurant which are located at the entrance of Comporta Village - the shop is located in the centre, in the square Largo de S. João. They sell a wonderful array of bohemian-beach chic wearables and furnishings. 

Lavanda in Comporta Village
A Loja do Museu de Arroz in Comporta
('The Shop of The Rice Museum')

Côté Sud
The place to buy Comporta Style beachwear and home décor textiles. Top-quality swimwear, cotton tunics, bohemian-chic dresses, straw hats, pillows, etc.

Mercearia Gomes
This gourmet grocery store in Comporta Village is a gem. It’s small but mighty. Here you will find a bit of everything. From artisan cheese and cured meats to Portuguese pastries and an impressive variety of spices (at least for Portuguese standards).

Coral Comporta
Quirky boutique shop selling a bit of everything, from ceramics to artworks, bijuterie and unique tablecloths. Most of the pieces are handmade in Portugal.

Stork Club
The store/gallery of interior designer extraordinaire Jacques Grange and gallerist Pierre Passebon.

The exterior of Mercearia Gomes in Comporta Village, a white and blue traditional house
Mercearia Gomes, a fantastic gourmet deli in the heart of Comporta Village



And that's all for now!

Here's hoping you create new memories here in Portugal. Tag us on Instagram (we would love it if you do!) and let us know how it goes. 🤗

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Obrigada,
Joana and Sofia
- JO&SO

© Photos by JO&SO and by each of the mentioned places.

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