The Alentejo region of Portugal is so close and yet you are in another world. We sleep in eco-resorts in forests and vineyards, saddle up horses for a riding tour and taste the local cuisine.
The line of trees seems to have no end. We are on our way from Lisbon to Comporta in the Alentejo, a vast and forested region in southern Portugal, just above the Algarve. Comporta is a hippie-chic town on the coast. Tucked deep among the greenery is Hotel Sublime Comporta. The driveway leads past conifers, cork oaks and olive trees. You can't miss it: this spa resort is a delightful hideaway. The hotel grounds cover seventeen acres and extend to the Atlantic coast.
Only a small portion is cultivated, the rest is untouched nature. Eco-luxury at its finest! We are welcomed with a fragrant refresher cloth and tea pulled from herbs from the hotel's own organic garden. In addition, Sublime Comporta produces its own olive oil, honey, rice beer, wine and gin. We flatten ourselves on one of the lounge terraces with fire bowls surrounding the main building. The lobby bar has a fireplace. That makes for a cosy lodge feel no matter the season. The interior style is boho-chic, the atmosphere sophisticated yet anything but stuffed up. In the restaurant next to the lobby bar, we sample Portuguese blue lobster. You can also book a Chef's Table in the pavilion in the kitchen garden. We spend the night in one of the villas with pool, constructed of natural materials such as wood and stone. Architect José Alberto Charrua and interior designer Miguel Câncio Martins of Portugal drew the "sublime" design of Sublime.
The village of Comparta lies on a narrow spit of land that separates the Atlantic Ocean from the mouth of the Sado River. On the way to the village, we discern storks on the lampposts. Like many fishing villages in the Alentejo, Comporta has white houses with red roof tiles. In the center of the village 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," waitress Amanda tells us. 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 Hotel Sublime Comporta on the snow-white Praia do Carvalhal beach. There is plenty of surfing on the sea. The Beach Club is in a wooden pavilion. The cocktails and mocktails have witty names like Back to basil and Mint to be. We devour fish and seafood: mackerel, tuna, oysters ... The love couple at the table next to us visibly enjoy grilled lobster and giant prawns. They introduce themselves as Claudia and Esfan from Antwerp and we get into an animated conversation about travel life. Esfan Eghtessadi turns out to be the founder of the successful Belgian fashion label Essentiel and Claudia has also recently launched her own sustainable fashion label, A-Typiq.
Comporta is in the region of Herdade da Comporta, a nature reserve along the Atlantic coast with miles of pristine sandy beaches. The white beach, dunes and rice fields - a phenomenon here - lend themselves to endless horseback riding. If anyone should know, it's Madonna. The Queen of Pop owns a house in Lisbon and when she is in Portugal, she reportedly likes nothing better than galloping along the surf at Comporta. "The most beautiful place I've ever ridden," she is said to have told José Ribeira, owner of equestrian center Cavalos Na Areia (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 pasture. José Ribeira grew up with horses; they are his joy 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) - prepares for a riding tour. The little boy is riding Ubi. "Wow, you have Madonna's horse!", we cheer. "Who's Madonna?", he asks. From "Papa Don't Preach," the father says. "Like a Virgin," clarifies the mother. In vain. As we walk onto the beach a moment later, the family comes trotting along the waterline across the endless serene sandy beach. What riches... We understand Madonna. Just you, your horse, the white sand and the blue sea.
We headed for our next lodging, Herdade da Malhadinha Nova in the interior of the Alentejo, taking a detour via the historic town of Évora (see box), if only to see the Roman temple ruins. After an extended stop, we continue on paved roads until the GPS sends us on a loose dirt road right across the countryside. A bright white estate looms up among the olive groves and vineyards. Malhadinha Nova, like Sublime Comporta, belongs to Mr. & Mrs. Smith luxury escapes. The reception is in a state-of-the-art tasting room. The owners have a love of design, we soon discover. In addition to wine, they sell Baobab scented candles and Cutipol cutlery, among other items.
Scattered throughout the huge property (450 acres) are various accommodations. It began in 2008 with a Country House that was converted into a hotel. It was given soft blue-gray walls instead of the Portuguese bright blue. A stone's throw from it is Casa das Pedras: four ultra-modern suites. This is where we sleep! The beautiful ochre yellow fabrics and honey-colored walls refer to the golden hue of hay, we hear later from owner Rita Soares who designed the interiors herself. Thus, each accommodation at Malhadinha has a link to rural life in the Alentejo. Bulgari products adorn the bathrooms. Through sliding glass doors, we step right into the relaxation pool on the terrace overlooking the vineyards.
Rita Soares and her husband João from Lisbon bought the estate in 1998. They run it with love and have heart for their employees. Rita did the interior, João - along with architects - tackled the exterior. According to the strict rules in the Alentejo, nothing new can be built, so everything on the property is renovated old buildings. There are five accommodations on the estate itself and one more in the village of Albernoa. " Barefoot luxury is the concept," Rita Soares says over lunch by the pool at Casa do Ancoradouro, one of the five accommodations namely the terracotta-themed "family hotel.
Rita: "The color is an ode to the red clay from the Alentejo." Inside hangs LED lamp Heracleum, which Bertjan Pot devised for Marcel Wanders' Moooi label. The name refers to the white flowers of Heracleum (hogweed), a plant that blooms abundantly in this region. "I love Wanders' craziness," says Rita. In addition to Casa do Ancoradouro, you can also eat delicious food at Malhadinha's "real" restaurant. Here, chef Rodrigo Madeira sways the scepter under the supervision of star chef Joachim Koerper of Eleven restaurant in Lisbon. Rodrigo prepares local seasonal dishes, including a fantastic salad of vegetables from his own garden. Also stunning are pastry chef Leticia Silva's desserts, such as cardamom genache with edible flowers. She is assisted by Joachim's wife Cintia.
Guests at Malhadinha have a choice of numerous activities. A picnic under the olive trees, a quad ride, a balloon ride? Anything goes! Today we take a riding tour with Carlos, the right-hand man of Pedro Sousa: a horse breeder who runs Malhadinha's equestrian center. Carlos rides Joca, photographer Esther on Trincadeira, a stubborn horse that likes to bite grass, and yours truly on the well-behaved Otavia. They are Iberian horses, thoroughbred Lusitanos. It is a delightful ride, although Joca often roars and Trincadeira has to sneeze from all that grass. After the riding tour, a Jeep takes us back to the suites where it's nice to cool off in the private pool. Inside is a well-stocked climate-controlled cabinet of 100% organic wines. The grapes are hand-picked. Harvesting is done at night so the pickers are not affected by 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 enthralled to his story. Among others, 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 done by the owners' children. At sunset, we are picked up for a picnic in the country. We almost imagine ourselves on safari in Africa as we dash by Jeep along the vineyards. But... we really are in Portugal!
Want 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 an examination of Max's Effect. But above all, it features people who bring light into the darkness. Like Henk Jan Beltman, who took over Tony's Chocolonely because with a business 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 sourced from the food forest. Designer Nienke Hoogvliet, who has introduced natural seaweed paint as an alternative to harmful textile dyes. And Anna Nooshin, who denounces the current social media culture of pretty pictures. In her documentary, she also shares the less beautiful aspects of her life. All of them people who ask questions, present mirrors, make steps. Steps toward a healthier world and more understanding society.
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