Quinta da Comporta is a sustainable, elegant retreat that blends seamlessly with the local landscape and culture, making it a tranquil escape from the busy everyday life
South of Lisbon, in the idyllic coastal region of Comporta, the grounds of an ancient rice factory have given way to an exquisite wellness resort.
Set against a backdrop of lush rice paddies, Quinta da Comporta is architect and designer Miguel Câncio Martins’ first signature project in Portugal as owner.
Internationally renowned for designing iconic watering holes such as the Buddha-Bar in Paris, he expanded his work to shops, private residences and hotels across the globe before returning to his childhood dream: Comporta.
“I dreamed of, imagined and designed for many years a place where people could gather and feel that they belonged, where they felt at home. That’s what Comporta represents to me: the space and time to disconnect to genuinely reconnect with the most fundamental values of life,” he explains.
©VICTOR FITZ
In the summer of 2019, he gave meaning to this dream, finally sharing Quinta da Comporta with guests who are like friends and family to him.
Quinta da Comporta is a beautifully discreet enclave inspired by Comporta’s local lifestyle. Every detail has been thought through to offer the luxury found in its simplicity, nature, community, and tradition.
The local architecture and landscaping were used in the hotel’s construction to seamlessly blend in with the scenery, and, to avoid eyesores, the carpark was cleverly concealed underground.
Maintaining the original traces of the ancient factory was also essential to the sustainably-focused architect.
Located at the heart of the resort, the original threshing floor, the Eira, remains untouched. This irregular red brick floor, a cultural symbol of the region, testifies to the location’s humble beginnings as it contrasts with contemporary luxury: a 40-metre-long, solar-heated transparent infinity pool overlooking the rice paddies.
The resort goes beyond sustainable building practices; its commitment to eco-friendliness is evident in everyday operations. This includes prioritising local hiring, using solar panels to heat water, recycling wastewater for landscaping, changing linens and towels every three days, and promoting a zero-waste philosophy by providing water refill stations and reusable bottles.
©AFONSO SOUSA / NA SOMBRA
These efforts reflect Quinta da Comporta’s vision for a lasting legacy and its desired influence on the surrounding area.
The main accommodation units are located at the back of the old threshing floor. Originally workers’ cottages, the terraced buildings have been painted in traditional white and Alentejo blue and feature five typologies of rooms and townhouses.
©MIREILLE ROOBAERT PHOTOGRAPHY
Next to these are the Pool Villas, which are characterised by their thatched roofs and striped façades typical of the area.
Spacious rooms with whitewashed walls and contrasting wooden floors and ceilings emanate peace and tranquillity. From the Deluxe typology, which includes an alluring bathtub, shower, terrace and extra-large bed, to the grand villas, which include three bedrooms, a sitting room, a kitchen and a private pool, each option offers visitors understated luxury.
©FREDERIC DUCOUT PHOTOGRAPHY
Fresh, boho-chic interiors combine incredible straw and wicker light fixtures and frames with reclaimed wood, organic elements such as stone, metal, and glass, and unique decorative pieces designed by local artists and artisans.
The resort also boasts a strong connection to art and design. Across the hotel grounds, we find works by iconic artists such as Vhils, who sculpted a farm worker on the side of a building, and street artist André Saraiva, who designed a tile mural inspired by the Atlantic.
The Inari restaurant, named after the Japanese god of rice, is a vast converted barn. Built using recovered wood beams that date back over 100 years and floor-to-ceiling windows, it offers a privileged view of the rice fields.
Here, a wooden stork’s nest tops the bar, whilst a newly installed piece of art by the incredibly talented Joana Vasconcelos, the Valquíria Inari, adds a sense of magic to the lounge.
©MANOLO YLLERA
The menu features dishes that follow the principle “from the sea to the land, from the garden to the table”, combining the region’s culinary traditions with creativity, always favouring fresh seasonal and local ingredients.
These include colourful fruit and vegetables from the restaurant’s sizeable concentric vegetable garden and orchard and, of course, rice. This emblematic ingredient, central to the resort, features in the restaurant’s exceptional sushi menu, thanks to a partnership with a top Lisbon restaurant, and soon will also be highlighted by a newly hired, award-winning chef.
Cocktails embellished by the garden’s crop are served on the restaurant’s terrace adorned with Balinese furniture, poolside under a straw umbrella, or, on cool nights, by the fireplace in the restaurant’s lounge before a movie night in the hotel’s cinema room.
© ANDRE STACHEL / PRISM.PT
Across the Eira, the beautiful Oryza Spa, from the Latin word for rice, is a wellness dream.
©RICARDO OLIVEIRA ALVES
The tall ceilings, supported by massive wooden beams, conceal six private treatment rooms, a hammam, a sauna and a dreamy indoor-outdoor swimming pool with dramatic views of the rice paddies through a massive grid window.
The atmosphere is warm and soothing, with low lighting and a cluster of straw fixtures dangling above the reception.
The spa’s nature-inspired treatments use Oryza Lab care products, a brand created at Quinta da Comporta and formulated in France using the best active components of rice to nourish the skin. For a more stimulating session, a state-of-the-art gym under the spa’s eaves is a discreet and peaceful place to exercise in style.
© ANDRE STACHEL / PRISM.PT
After a visit to the spa or a relaxing practice in the Yoga Shala, beyond the vegetable garden, perusing the latest collection of designer beach gowns, baskets, accessories and exclusive souvenirs at the hotel’s boutique is an obligatory activity, whilst, beyond the resort’s walls, bike rides across the rice paddies, horse riding on the beach, and birdwatching, reveal some of the nature reserve’s most soothing attributes.
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