Three Huts

Inspired by Tradition: Fishing Hut Homes For a Crowd

A family-centered property in the rice fields alongside the Sado River, this sweet complex of freestanding cottages gets its inspiration from the region’s traditional fishing huts. The project of a well-loved local windsurfer who has decorated the spaces in easygoing coastal style, the property is a veritable indoor/outdoor playground, sure to be loved by kids and adults alike.

A great spot for reconnecting with your people and relishing the gentle natural world that makes Comporta’s coastal landscape unique, this villa for rent in Portugal offers casual rest and relaxation within easy striking distance of Portugal’s hippest beach enclave.

The creation of a local windsurfer who got his rustic-chic design inspiration from the huts of his fishermen friends, the property feels peaceful and remote, and features a meadow-like garden set on the banks of the Sado River, among the region’s famous rice paddies.

Made up of three independent structures, the property offers a colorful, two-bedroom Main Hut that serves as the property’s social hub with a dining room that seats a dozen. An intimate Love Hut made breezy by gauzy white linen and a king-sized canopy bed is perfect for couples. And the cute Kids’ Hut with bunks, twin beds and kitchenette, with its kids-only dining table, defines the property as a family vacation location.

Outdoors, a fully-equipped kitchen and barbecue area make grilling the catch of the day a cinch, and cool sunset drinks (or hot sunrise beverages) are best enjoyed reclined on one of the home’s two, spacious, thatch-roofed patios that are hung with hammocks, lined with built-in cushioned seating, and decorated in rattan and cane.

The pastoral garden, with its simple lawn, lap pool, rustic-chic outdoor shower and cool treehouse keep the multigenerational party alive, and a pouf-surrounded, sunken firepit area offers another spot to gather. Add to all this that the beach is only minutes away, and the Sado River meanders just over the property line.

AROUND

This villa for rent in Portugal is set outside Comporta, a traditional fishing town turned creative hotspot, and the area offers three local beaches to choose from, long stretches of golden sand backed by ochre cliffs and grass-tufted dunes. Fish and shellfish are the food of choice in the area, along with rice, citrus, and glorious produce, and giant prawns and lobster rolls are popular at beachfront cafes and breezy restaurants. 

Horseback riders are drawn to the dramatic Comporta coast and its rural inland areas, and there are opportunities to enjoy local art at the town’s many galleries and artisanal boutiques. In recent years, the region has become a hot spot for a fashionable creative set, and several designer bars and swanky boutique hotels offer sophisticated dining and entertainment options. 

Exploring the area reveals a rural inland landscape, still little known and unspoiled, where rice paddies, olive groves and citrus orchards. Stands of twisting cork oak trees dominate, and small villages are whitewashed, cobbled and beautifully simple.

LOCATION

Comporta, Portugal. Nearest airport: Lisbon (70 miles).

BEST TIME TO VISIT: April to November