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The Pines
Melides, Setúbal, Alentejo, Portugal
The Pines
Melides, Setúbal, Alentejo, Portugal
A Beachy Bungalow Outside Melides
Decorated brightly with accents of coastal straw on a canvas of vivid, whitewashed walls, this blue and white beach bungalow is pure Alentejo coast, a cheerful getaway outside of Melides, near Comporta.
Aptly named for its location on an evergreen studded section of coast north of fledgling hotspot Melides, this villa for rent in Portugal is a renovated Alentejo classic. Breezy and sand-dusted, the modest villa promotes barefoot lazing, with a new outdoor living space under a garden portico and an easygoing atmosphere.
Inside, the look is “open for tropical breezes,” with saturated hues in tiles, textiles, and plaster. The Comporta coastline’s wide oceanfront beaches can be reached within minutes, and the bungalow’s pool garden offers its own horizon of undulating sands watched over by swaying hammocks. It’s a picture-perfect coastal tableau, set apart by its placement under wind-sculpted pines.
There is one master bedroom and one separate bedroom in the main house. A staircase in its living room leads to a mezzanine with four single beds. If you're traveling with a small crowd, there is also a Casa de Campo unit on the property that is available for extra guests.
AROUND
The managers of this villa for rent in Portugal put it well: Melides is to the Comporta coast what Montauk is to the Hamptons or Cogolin is to St. Tropez. Not as famous in name, but every bit as worth being discovered. Hip global nomads have marked the modest Melides as their new favorite playground, riding in on the coattails of French designers, international architects, entrepreneurial urbanites, and modern art collectors and jetsetters. The village’s landscape differs a bit from the greater Alentejo region due to the Lagoa de Melides, or lagoon that surrounds the community and contains a stunning variety of flora and fauna within the protected ecosystem. Waterbird habitat is also abundant, and eels from the waterways make for a popular catch for local diners.
Rice paddies and cork fields create a unique oceanfront landscape in this part of the Atlantic, and further inland, the higher altitude relief of the Serra de Grândola creates an area of foot paths and hiking trails, gurgling streams and a 19-kilometer circular route, the Vereda de Melides, designed for exploring the region on bike or foot. Pine forests rise from sandy knolls, hiding vacation homes worthy of design magazines. The well-heeled enclave of Comporta, nearby, is zigzagged by shops, cafes, restaurants, and pretty outposts of the rich and famous. Design-conscious shoppers and patrons of the arts will delight in the burgeoning selection of galleries, studio/workshops, and carefully curated boutiques, and another draw is the creative community, Melides Art, with its landmark sculptures and ultra-contemporary residences. A land of decided contrasts, Melides still offers simple coastal cafes that sizzle with the sound of grilled sardines. Lovers of the laid-back and rugged will thrill with horseback rides along the rolling surf. The region’s beaches extend for miles, offering an abundance of outdoor recreation activities, notably surfing and riding the wind.
LOCATION
Melides, Setúbal, Alentejo, Portugal. Nearest airport: Lisbon (approximately 80 kilometers)
BEST TIME TO VISIT: May to October
