Villa Asa

Outdoor Living Oasis in the Alentejo

Insulated by a curtain of pines, olives and lovingly landscaped coastal shrubbery and native grasses, this villa stands minutes from the Atlantic beaches at Pego and Carvalhal. Long, low slung and linear, the contemporary oasis offers a breezy mix of easygoing coastal furnishings in straw, sea grass, wood, cane and rattan, and its open-plan common areas are marked by large glass doors and double sliders.

Six bedrooms continue the coastal living vibe, with room for up to 11 guests in queen and double single rooms, with doors out to the garden and manicured poolscape. The pool is heated, with a shade structure at one end as well as lounge chairs and umbrellas.

Around

The villa is just 500 meters from the local restaurants and shops, and a quick 1.2 kilometers from Pego Beach, offering an Atlantic getaway along Portugal’s sought-after Alentejo coastline. Carvalhal’s beaches are freer and easier than those around Comporta and Melides, popular communities some 10 miles north, with fewer visitors and wilder sands. Carvalhal town is one of seven towns in the the Herdade de Comporta, a zone of rice paddies and the wetlands of the Sado Nature Reserve. Carvalhal Beach is located at the end of the village’s main street. Dune-backed and flanked by rice paddies, the family-friendly beach also has a well-loved traditional waterfront restaurant, and there are beach loungers and umbrellas available for a fee.

Pego Beach is walkable from the villa, a remote-feeling, four-kilometer stretch of golden sand surrounded by a pine forest. A destination for those in the know, Sal Restaurant is located on Pego, a family-run domain of grilled fish and freshly caught seafood. Dolphins jump in the waters offshore, and the waves make the entire region a surfing hotspot for pros and beginners alike, well-served by surf schools and local guiding companies. Carvalhal is also known for its boutique shopping and antique outlets and its simple cafes and taverns.

Nearby Comporta (about 10 minutes north) has become a favorite playground of hip global nomads who’ve ridden in on the coattails of fashion designers, international architects, entrepreneurial urbanites, and modern art collectors. Comporta is well loved for its easygoing elegance and trendy artisanal boutiques, lively galleries and handful of cute cafes. Nearby Melides is also a favorite of design-conscious shoppers who delight in the burgeoning selection of galleries, studio/workshops, and carefully curated boutiques. This mostly unspoiled region remains undeniably beautiful in spite of its trendiness—a green landscape of vineyards and cork oak fields, rice paddies and groves of glinting olive and orange trees. Stork nests watch over quiet cobbled villages, and the region has historically been more agricultural than touristy. Lovers of the laid back and rugged will thrill with horseback rides along the rolling surf, and the area’s golden sands extend for miles, backed by dunes, cliffs, and wind sculpted pines and the protected lagoons, their waters rich with birds and wildlife, include nearby Lagoa de Santo André and the Lagoa de Melides.

Location

Carvalhal, Alentejo, Portugal. Nearest airport: Lisbon (1 ½ hours)

Best time to visit

April to October