Azul by the Sea

Toes in the Sand, Head in the Pines

A garden-party-worthy getaway with relaxed, contemporary styling, this low-slung rectilinear beach villa for rent in Portugal was renovated by ca.ve office architecture for an easygoing holiday. Move languorously between native garden and turquoise pool to outdoor kitchen and dining patio to sunset terrace. Then, repeat.

Located within easy reach of curving coastal sands and bright blue waters, this modern villa stretches out lazily beneath windswept coastal pines near a tiny fishing village best known for its fresh catch cafés. The home’s design-forward interior features modern furnishings by Caravane, Rolf Benz and Wewood, rugs by Nani Marquina, and art by contemporary Portuguese and international artists. Landscaping at the villa is garden-club-quality, a manicured mix of native grasses, succulents, and shrubs in wide green lawns, with the Portuguese Riviera and even the distant skyline of Lisbon shimmering beyond.

AROUND

Located striking distance from several beaches—the Praia do Meco, Praia das Bicas, and the Lagoa d’Albufeira—this villa for rent in Portugal also offers quick access to the fishing village of Aldeia do Meco and its neighbor, Alfarim, where local produce and artisanal creations are widely available. Beach and water sports are the area’s draw, including swimming and windsurfing, cycling and horseback riding on the coast. Wine lovers can tour the Palmela Route and sightseers should hit Cape Espichel Monastery and Palmela Castle nearby. The seaside town of Sesimbra occupies a deep blue crescent at the foot of the Serra da Arrábida range. Sesimbra’s old town clings to a hillside, a maze of alleys climbing steeply around a 15th-century church and two forts, the 17th-century São Teodósio and austere Fort Santiago. A crenellated, five-tower medieval castle dominates the hilltop above Sesimbra, and the drive from the small waterfront town to bigger Setúbal winds through protected scenic parkland. 

Nearby Sintra is magnificent, an awe-inspiring town of royal proportions that has been the holiday residence of Portugal’s monarchs for centuries. It holds UNESCO World Heritage status for its wealth of castles, historical sites and monuments, and lush gardens. The Palace itself is a mishmash of Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance architecture with extraordinary azulejos, and the number of surrounding fortresses, monasteries, castles, and convents in Sintra is truly astounding. Not to be missed is the Quinta da Regaleira gardens’ stunning Initiation Well. Created by an adherent of Hermeticism and Primitivism who believed that nature reveals profound truths, the dense, UNESCO-classified garden is an otherworldly display of ferns and flowers, fountains, tunnels, and towers.

LOCATION

Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal. Nearest airport: Lisbon (approximately 40km)

BEST TIME TO VISIT: March to October