Villa Kaba, a farmhouse rental near Melides, Portugal

A Farmhouse on a Private Estate, Minutes from Melides

The architecture of this home is rooted in the Alentejo vernacular: two whitewashed volumes under terracotta roofs, connected by open decking and set into the sandy ground. Inside, the brief was material restraint—limewash floors, whitewashed timber ceilings, walls with minimal decor. The result reads spare until you notice the scallop-framed bathroom mirror, the three-legged studio chair, the black-and-white portrait above the bed. Plus the African prints and photography throughout.

The open-plan living and dining space is the social center: cathedral-ceilinged, light-filled, and anchored by a long timber table. Two seating area—one formal, one a built-in banquette—keep the scale from feeling institutional. The kitchen runs to a central island and a separate galley.

The pool sits on wide timber decking, heated and flanked by teak loungers. A pergola-shaded seating area and a separate bamboo-roofed dining terrace frame the main house. Beyond the decking, the sandy estate has a fire pit ringed by log benches and a covered open-air gym with a full weight rack and barbell. The rooftop terrace on the master suite looks over the pine canopy. The beach is five minutes by quad.

What we love

What makes this place so special is the scale of the land—44 hectares with no neighbors anywhere in sight, so you genuinely feel like you have the whole Alentejo to yourselves. The interiors are full of beautiful, carefully chosen furniture and art that has been collected over time and clearly reflects the owner's taste. This gives the house a really personal, lived-in feeling that you don't often find. Outside the 29-meter pool is spectacular, and the landscaping has this wild, natural quality that feels completely at home in the landscape. The beach is only 1.3 kilometers away.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in Melides, Portugal sleeps up to 10 guests. The main house spans 700 m² across two volumes connected by outdoor decking. Five en-suite, king-sized bedrooms are distributed between the main wing and ground-floor annex. The master suite occupies the upper floor of the main wing, with a private sitting room, writing desk, and rooftop terrace. Common spaces include the open-plan living and dining area, a fully equipped kitchen with island, a private cinema room, and a yoga and meditation room.

- Bedroom 1 — King, en suite, rooftop terrace, private sitting room

- Bedroom 2 — King, en suite

- Bedroom 3 — King, en suite

- Bedroom 4 — King, en suite

- Bedroom 5 — King, en suite

2 guest WCs

Experiences

The estate includes two quads and a Can-Am Traxter for four, the standard way to reach the private beach access point around three kilometers away. A covered outdoor gym with free weights, kettlebells, and a barbell is available on the grounds. A yoga and meditation room is set up for morning practice.

Good to know

Housekeeping, breakfast, and lunch preparation are included with every stay. No pets are permitted. The estate runs entirely off private land, and there are no neighbors in sight. Air conditioning, underfloor heating, and mosquito netting run throughout the house.

Amenities & services

Wi-Fi, air conditioning throughout, underfloor heating, mosquito netting, heated pool, pool house with bar and ice machine, two quads and Can-Am Traxter, private cinema room, yoga and meditation room, outdoor gym, tennis court, pétanque court, fire pit, barbecue, outdoor dining for ten, housekeeping, breakfast and lunch preparation, kitchen with island, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, coffee machine, Smart TV, garden furniture, open-air parking

Around

Melides sits at the quieter northern end of the Comporta corridor, less developed than Comporta itself. The village has a handful of good restaurants and a weekly market. For design pilgrimage: Azenhas do Mar, João Ribeiro de Faria's wine shop and arts space in the village, is worth the stop. Comporta and Carvalhal beaches are a short drive south. Lisbon is 125 kilometers north, around 90 minutes on a clear run.