July 16, 2025 | TRAVEL
STILL WILD, STILL SUBLIME
words Onur Basturk
Once a well-kept secret, Comporta is now anything but. Word’s out—and for good reason. This stretch of Portugal’s Alentejo coast has one of Europe’s longest, quietest beaches. Think whispering dunes, pine forests, and the kind of deserted-shore energy that feels straight out of a dream. The secret to its serenity? No mega resorts. No sprawling highways. Just tight conservation rules that keep it all blissfully low-key.
It helps that the crowd is effortlessly cool. Madonna rode horses on this beach during her Portugal years. Clooney has a house in nearby Melides. And with its low-key villas, good taste, and just the right amount of inaccessibility, Comporta’s been dubbed “the Hamptons of Portugal”—minus the drama.
THE BEST WAY TO TAP INTO THE COMPORTA VIBE
If you’re looking to truly feel what Comporta’s about, head straight to Sublime Comporta. I started at their Lisbon outpost (don’t miss Davvero, the Italian restaurant—thank me later), then made my way south to their forest-wrapped estate in Comporta. It’s calm, pared back, and exactly where you want to be.
The architecture is all about light touch: sustainable materials, stilted structures that leave the land undisturbed, and floor-to-ceiling windows that bring the outdoors inside. Nature leads. Everything else follows.
Set across a 17-hectare estate, one of Sublime’s most striking features is the Bio-Pool Suites—a collection of nine cabanas overlooking one of Europe’s largest biological pools. Inspired by the traditional huts used by local farmers and fishermen, they blend rustic character with clean design and lots of stillness.
THE FOOD CIRCLE: RAW, FIERY, UNFORGETTABLE
Sublime has three restaurants, but Food Circle was something else. Around a circular counter, a dozen of us sat as chef Pedro Calhau and his team worked the fire at the center. Every dish came off those flames—grilled, charred, smoky perfection. It felt primal in the best way. Ritualistic. I still think about it.
A QUICK LUNCH THAT TURNED INTO A MINI FEAST
On your way to the beach, stop by Sado, Sublime’s low-key off-property spot near the village entrance. I walked in thinking I’d grab something quick. Two hours later, I was still sitting there, completely seduced by the menu. I didn’t get through half of it, which only means one thing: I’ll be back.
IN SHORT…
If long beach walks, bird calls, silence, and serious food are your thing, Sublime Comporta is non-negotiable. Trust me.
WHERE AND HOW TO GET THERE
Comporta is about 1.5 hours south of Lisbon, in the northwestern edge of the Alentejo region. It’s made up of a few small villages (including Comporta itself), scattered among rice fields, salt flats, and farmlands, and stretches all the way down the Tróia Peninsula—ending at the coastal resorts of Costa de Galé and Tróia Mar.
Comporta village, around 20 km from the hotel, has just enough to charm: a few shops, cafés, and a tiny grocer. Don’t miss The Life Juice concept store—it nails the aesthetic.
