Villa Cactus

Classic Comporta: A Contemporary, Cabana-styled Villa

With its thatched roof, sand-and-boardwalk-surrounded swimming pool and its abundance of warm wood, concrete and glass, this villa takes quintessential Comporta cabana living to the next level.

Walls of sliding glass open under peaked, exposed wood ceilings, and breezy interiors include gigantic potted palms, driftwood, cane and rattan on top of smooth poured concrete surfaces. Warm wood slats aren’t only architectural, but ornamental, and wood built-ins create cool backdrops as headboards in bedrooms, partitions in common areas, and even practical shelving and dramatic cabinetry.

The villa’s six suites are each unique, including sleep spaces for up to 14 guests across a king suite, three twin suites (convertible to kings) and a charming children’s suite. The latter has six single beds, perfect for cousins or friends to bunk down together.

A long, lean pool extends across the pine and olive-tree dotted garden, and the outdoor area is equipped with sun chaises, a shade structure at the end of the pool, an outdoor shower, a crescent lounge couch, and beautiful landscaping around boardwalks, sandy pathways and the shaded terrace running the length of the house.

Around

Located a 15-minute walk to Pego Beach, with Carvalhal town and its beach a five-minute drive away, the villa offers an Alentejo coastal stay in a modernized, architectural cabana. Carvalhal’s beaches are freer and easier than those around Comporta and Melides, 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, 4 kilometer stretch of golden sand surrounded by a pine forest. A destination restaurant 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. Storks’ nests watch over quiet, cobbled-street 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 the area’s golden sands that extend for miles, backed by dunes, cliffs, and wind sculpted pines.

Location

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

Best time to visit

April to October