Casa Montado

A Newly Designed Villa with Traditional Alentejo Styling

Taking cues from the Alentejo coast’s regional huts and beach houses, this newly constructed property designed by Jacques Grange elevates the local building vernacular to the next level. The villa is made up of five independent structures connected by terraces, pathways and outdoor entertainment zones, and it sits on 28 hectares dense with hundreds of pines and cork oak trees, with landscaping by Nina Gardens.

The property is great for groups, sleeping 10 adults and four children. The main house is home to the primary ensuite bedroom, as well as an additional room and bunk room (for four children) that share a bathroom. The straw-clad guest house features three ensuite bedrooms, with two connected by a common door. The tiled kitchen and high-celiinged dining area fill their own independent structure, and there’s a poolhouse with a fireplace, bar, sauna and bathroom as well. The fifth structure is a staff residence.

Outdoor spaces include a 20 x 4 meter swimming pool with jet stream, an outdoor barbecue area, and a pétanque court.

Around

This villa is pure Alentejo, set in an unspoiled rural environment just outside of Melides and close to the beautiful beaches of Alberta Nova, Carvalhal and Comporta. Melides is to the Comporta coast what Montauk is to the Hamptons or Cogolin is to St. Tropez—not as famous in name, but every bit as worth being discovered. Global nomads have marked the modest Melides as their new favorite playground, riding in on the coattails of French designers, international architects, entrepreneurial urbanites, and modern art collectors and jetsetters. The village’s landscape differs a bit from the greater Alentejo region due to the Lagoa de Melides, the lagoon that surrounds the community and contains a stunning variety of flora and fauna within its protected ecosystem. Waterbird habitat is also abundant, and eels from the waterways make for a popular catch for local diners.

Rice paddies and cork fields create a unique oceanfront landscape in this part of the Atlantic, and further inland, the higher altitude relief of the Serra de Grândola creates an area of footpaths and hiking trails, gurgling streams and a 19-kilometer circular route, the Vereda de Melides, designed for exploring the region on bike or foot. Nearby, the well-heeled enclave of Comporta is zigzagged by shops, cafes, restaurants and pretty outposts of the rich and famous. Design-conscious shoppers and patrons of the arts will delight in the burgeoning selection of galleries, studios, workshops, and carefully curated boutiques.

Location

Melides, Setubal, Portugal. Nearest airport: Lisbon (1.5 hours)

Best time to visit

April to October