Villa Otis

Alfresco Living

Breezy and textural with its big, operable glass doors and blonde wood and rattan furnishings, this modern coastal villa for rent in Portugal is sharply angular and contemporary. But its mood remains low key and comfortable, a home for barefoot entertaining indoors and out, slouching on shaded terraces, and basking in the sun.

This contemporary coastal villa near cool Comporta was designed for living the good life. Walls and windows of gleaming glass slide away completely, opening the casually decorated and art-accented rooms out to the bright, sand-dusted lot and poolscape on the lawn. Decks and open-plan interiors come furnished with spacious wooden farm tables, plump seating to sink into, and plenty of textural rattan, cane and blonde wood to put a seaside stamp on the property. Garden views extend from easygoing bedrooms. Bathrooms offer rainfall showers and plush robes. Plus, there’s a small, sandy beach steps away, and a cocktail-hour roof deck that faces the forests and meadows leading out to sea.

AROUND

This villa for rent in Portugal is located in Comporta, a coastal region marked by hip global nomads as their new favorite playground, riding in on the coattails of fashion designers, international architects, entrepreneurial urbanites, and modern art collectors. And it’s no wonder. This mostly unspoiled part of Portugal’s coast is undeniably beautiful, a landscape of vineyards and cork-oak fields, rice paddies and groves of glinting olive and orange dotted citrus trees. Blue and yellow striped, cobbled villages are watched over by huge stork’s nests, and the region has historically been home to agricultural families more than tourists. Comporta is well loved for its easygoing elegance and trendy artisanal boutiques. There’s a lively gallery scene and a handful of cute cafes. Nearby Melides is also a favorite of design-conscious shoppers and patrons of the arts who delight in the burgeoning selection of galleries, studio/workshops, and carefully curated boutiques.

A land of decided contrasts, this up-and-coming destination still offers simple coastal cafes that sizzle with the sound of grilled sardines or locally-caught eel. Lovers of the laid-back and rugged will thrill with horseback rides along the rolling surf. The area’s golden stretches extend for miles, backed by dunes, cliffs, and windsculpted pines—beaches known for their big, rolling waves. Not to be missed are Praia da Galé-Fontainhas, Praia da Comporta and the Praia da Melides. Protected lagoons, their waters rich with birds and wildlife, include Lagoa de Santo André and Lagoa de Melides. Walkers will love the Vereda de Melides footpath, the BioMelides pedestrian route, and the more vigorous Rota da Serra de Grândola, that circles through a massive cork-oak forest and over hills crisscrossed by streams. The nearby Troia peninsula is a big draw for kite and wind surfers and the Sado Estuary is a natural wetland reserve with resident flamingos, otters, dolphins, and more than 250 types of protected birds.

LOCATION

Comporta, Alentejo, Portugal. Nearest airport: Lisbon

BEST TIME TO VISIT: April to November