Power
Saint-Tropez of Portugal
Alentejo in Portugal is so close and yet you find yourself in a different world. We sleep in eco-resorts in forests and vineyards, saddle horses for a riding tour and taste the local cuisine. We investigated the 'Effect of Max' and spoke to various stakeholders about their experiences.
The Alentejo region in Portugal is so close and yet you are in a different world. We sleep in eco-resorts in forests and vineyards, saddle horses for a riding tour and taste the local cuisine.
The row of trees seems to have no end. We are on our way from Lisbon to Comporta in the Alentejo, a vast and wooded region in southern Portugal, just above the Algarve. Comporta is a hippie-chic town on the coast. Hotel Sublime Comporta is hidden deep among the greenery. The driveway leads past conifers, cork oaks and olive trees. You can't miss it: this spa resort is a wonderful hideaway. The hotel grounds cover seventeen hectares and extend as far as the Atlantic coast.
Only a small part is built on, the rest is unspoilt nature. Eco-luxury at its best! We are welcomed with a fragrant refreshment towel and tea made from herbs from our own organic garden. In addition, Sublime Comporta produces its own olive oil, honey, rice beer, wine and gin. We lie down on one of the lounge terraces with fire bowls around the main building. The lobby bar has a fireplace. That takes care of one cozy lodge feeling, regardless of the season. The interior style is boho-chic, the atmosphere sophisticated and yet anything but stuffy. In the restaurant next to the lobby bar we taste Portuguese blue lobster. A Chef's Table can also be booked in the pavilion in the vegetable garden. We spend the night in one of the villas with a swimming pool, made from natural materials such as wood and stone. Architect José Alberto Charrua and interior designer Miguel Câncio Martins from Portugal were responsible for the 'sublime' design of Sublime.
Country-chic Comporta
The village of Comparta is located on a narrow spit of land that forms the dividing line between the Atlantic Ocean and the mouth of the Sado River. On the way to the village we spotted storks on the lampposts. Like many fishing villages in the Alentejo, Comporta also has white houses with red roof tiles. In the village center we find country-chic fashion boutiques and restaurants.
We settle down under the eucalyptus tree of Café Almo. This thick tree is more than two centuries old. “The tree has always been a meeting place,” says waitress Amanda. Café Almo swears by organic cuisine. “In that respect, there is still a world to be won in this traditional village,” she laughs. We have reserved lunch at the Beach Club of the Sublime Comporta hotel on the snow-white beach of Praia do Carvalhal. There is plenty of surfing at sea. The Beach Club is located in a wooden pavilion. The cocktails and mocktails have witty names like Back to basil en Mint to be. We devour fish and fruits de mer: mackerel, tuna, oysters... The loving couple at the table next to us is visibly enjoying grilled lobster and king prawns. They introduce themselves as Claudia and Esfan from Antwerp and we get into an animated conversation about travel life. Esfan Eghtessadi appears to be the founder of the successful Belgian fashion label Essentiel and Claudia also recently launched her own sustainable fashion label, A-Typiq.
Madonna's horses
Comporta is located in the Herdade da Comporta region, a nature reserve along the Atlantic coast with miles of unspoilt sandy beach. The white beach, dunes and rice fields – a phenomenon here – lend themselves to endless horse riding trips. If anyone can know, it's Madonna. The Queen of Pop owns a house in Lisbon and when she is in Portugal, she reportedly loves nothing more than galloping along the surf at Comporta. “The most beautiful place I have ever ridden,” she is said to have told José Ribeira, owner of the Cavalos Na Areia riding school (Cavalosnaareia.com) where her horses are stabled.
A bumpy dirt road leads to the entrance gate. We immediately see a white mare frolicking in the meadow. José Ribeira grew up with horses, they are his passion and his life. Ribeira: “I once started with five horses, now there are sixty.” Two of them belong to Madonna, the stallions Ubi and Eco. Ubi is brown, Eco black. A Swiss family – father, mother, daughter (8) and son (6) – is preparing for a driving tour. The boy rides Ubi. “Wow, you have Madonna's horse!” we cheer. “Who is Madonna?” he asks. By "Papa Don't Preach”, says the father. “Like a Virgin ", the mother clarifies. In vain. When we walk onto the beach a little later, the family comes trotting past along the waterline on the endless serene sandy beach. What wealth… We understand Madonna. Just you, your horse, the white sand and the blue sea.
Winery full of opulence
We head to our next accommodation, Herdade da Malhadinha Nova in the interior of the Alentejo, and make a detour via the historic town of Évora (see box), if only to see the Roman temple ruins. After an extensive stopover, we continue driving on paved roads, until the GPS sends us on a loose dirt road straight through the countryside. A snow-white domain looms up between the olive groves and vineyards. Just like Sublime Comporta, Malhadinha Nova belongs to Mr & Mrs Smith luxury escapes. The reception is in an ultra-modern tasting room. The owners have a love for design, as we soon discover. In addition to wine, scented candles from Baobab and cutlery from Cutipol are for sale.
There are various accommodations spread over the enormous site (450 hectares). It started in 2008 with a Country House that was converted into a hotel. It had soft blue-gray walls instead of the Portuguese bright blue. Casa das Pedras is just a stone's throw away: four ultra-modern suites. We sleep here! The beautiful ocher yellow fabrics and honey-colored walls refer to the golden yellow hue of hay, we later hear from owner Rita Soares, who designed the interiors herself. Each accommodation at Malhadinha has a link with rural life in the Alentejo. Bulgari products are featured in the bathrooms. Through sliding glass doors we step straight into the relaxation pool on the terrace with a view of the vineyards.
De craziness from Wanders
Rita Soares and her husband João from Lisbon bought the estate in 1998. They run it with a lot of love and have a heart for their employees. Rita did the interior, João – together with architects – tackled the exterior. According to the strict rules in the Alentejo, nothing new is allowed to be built, so everything on the site is renovated old buildings. There are five accommodations on the estate itself and another in the village of Albernoa. “Barefoot luxury is the concept,” says Rita Soares during a lunch at the pool of Casa do Ancoradouro, one of the five accommodations, namely the 'family hotel' with terracotta as a theme.
Rita: “The color is an ode to the red clay from the Alentejo.” Inside is the Heracleum LED lamp that Bertjan Pot designed for Marcel Wanders' label Moooi. The name refers to the white flowers of Heracleum (hogweed), a plant that blooms in abundance in this region. “I like the craziness van Wanders,” says Rita. In addition to Casa do Ancoradouro, you can also enjoy delicious food in the 'real' restaurant of Malhadinha. Chef Rodrigo Madeira is in charge here under the supervision of star chef Joachim Koerper from restaurant Eleven in Lisbon. Rodrigo prepares local seasonal dishes, including a fantastic salad of vegetables from his own garden. The desserts by pastry chef Leticia Silva are also beautiful, such as the genache of cardamom with edible flowers. She is assisted by Joachim's wife Cintia.
Picnic under the olive trees
Guests at Malhadinha can choose from numerous activities. A picnic under the olive trees, a quad bike ride, a hot air balloon ride? Everything is possible! Today we take a riding tour with Carlos, Pedro Sousa's right-hand man: a horse breeder who runs the Malhadinha riding school. Carlos rides Joca, photographer Esther rides Trincadeira, a stubborn horse that likes to eat grass, and yours truly rides the good Otavia. They are Iberian horses, thoroughbred Lusitanos. It is a wonderful ride, although Joca often snores and Trincadeira has to sneeze from all that grass. After the driving tour, a Jeep takes us back to the suites where we can cool off in the private pool. Inside there is a well-stocked climate cabinet with 100% organic wines. The grapes are hand-picked. The harvest takes place at night so that the pickers do not suffer from the heat.
In addition to numerous wines, Malhadinha produces olive oil and honey. A tasting with wine expert Martin Aleixo is a must! Even Esther, who doesn't drink a drop, listens with fascination to his story. Aleixo uncorks a fresh verdelho, perfect with oysters, and a ruby red aragonez with notes of black pepper. The drawings on the labels, such as that of a spotted cow, were made by the owners' children. At sunset we are picked up for a picnic on the land. We almost feel like we are on safari in Africa when we drive past the vineyards in the Jeep. But… we are really in Portugal!
MASTERS MAGAZINE
Would you like to read more about this special place? In the summer edition of MASTERS an interview with Sven Kramer, a driving impression of the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport and a study into the Effect of Max. But above all, it features people who bring light to the darkness. Such as Henk Jan Beltman, who took over Tony's Chocolonely because with a company you can make the world a more beautiful place. Chef Emile van der Staak, who has the ambition to change our food culture and therefore cooks with plants and vegetables that he obtains from the food forest. Designer Nienke Hoogvliet, who has introduced natural seaweed paint as an alternative to harmful textile paint. And Anna Nooshin, who criticizes the current social media culture of pretty pictures. In her documentary she also shares the less beautiful aspects of her life. All people who ask questions, hold up mirrors, take steps. Steps towards a healthier world and more understanding society.
