The Pulse

For people from Lisbon, Comporta is what the Hamptons are for New Yorkers, more precisely like picturesque Montauk. Perfect for a weekend getaway out of town and into nature - vacation and tranquility. Like the Hamptons, beautiful Comporta has a rather exclusive character, which gives it an unique charm. With long white sand beaches and pristine nature, posh beach restaurants and luxurious hotels. The comparison is slightly distorted by the local rice fields and the very thin colonization of the coastal strip in Portugal, which makes you feel even more in heaven than the Hamptons.

The Sublime Comporta has long been on our wishlist of hotel visits. We stayed for two nights, but Sublime offers so  diverse activities, that we easily could have filled another week. Make sure to do the horse-back-riding to the beach and if the swell comes in, take a surf lesson. If you have more time, you can go on a sailing trip and explore the lonely bays of the region. Everything is organized by the hotel on request and is a real highlight during a visit. In addition, the hotel itself offers great opportunities with the in-house SPA and the variety of pools, the garden and the three very diverse restaurants (tapas bar, fine dining restaurant and a romantic garden shed for private dinners). You can also go biking or for a run straight from the hotel. For all other recommendations for the region, our printed travel guide for Portugal ("Glücklich in Portugal") will be published shortly at Süddeutsche Zeitung Edition, available online and in your favourite bookstore.

The Nectar

Sublime Comporta was one of the first luxury hotels in the very sparsely populated area of ​​Comporta coastline. The married couple Patricia and Goncalo Pessoa have acquired the fantastic property and developed the Sublime together with the architect Alberto Charrua. A fragrant pine forest on white sand, in which the noble architecture and wooden villas blend naturally. In the center is the main building with the 23 rooms and the very impressive lobby. The very spacious villas (with 2 to 5 bedrooms) nestled in the pine woods of the very spacious property, so that absolute intimacy is guaranteed and you feel lonely in the middle of nature. The huge windows allow a relaxing panoramic view in the pine forest, the open fireplace gives cozy country house atmosphere and the noble design interior lets us float in the seventh heaven. Living in Sublime feels like wandering between rough nature and smoothing luxurious interior, between typical Portuguese vegetation and state-of-the-art design. So we sit at our private pool, listen to the birds and dig our feet in the fine white sand that surrounds the villa. Kids are very welcome, but the scenerey is rather made for sophisticated relaxation - even though, our boys especially loved the private pool, the splash hour at the indoor pool and the amazing breakfast with pan cakes and lots of sweet fresh mango!

Must Do

+ horse back riding at the beach

+ surfing in Comporta

+ wandering through the wild sand dunes on the property - baredfoot

+ eating delicous octupus and prawns at the romantic tapas restaurant at the pool

+ try Sublime Comporta's outdoor organic restaurant: in the middle of the organic garden

+ prolong the sensational breakfast and talk to the table neighbours

Our stay at beautiful Sublime Comporta: