I discovered the Alentejo region in the middle of winter, in the midst of a storm and torrential rain. I was captivated by the sand dunes that conceal kilometres of beach, the majestic Atlantic, the wild beauty of the landscape, the light, the wonderful rice fields that take on different colours with the seasons and the chattering storks, warning us of nightfall. Time slows down here. The Comporta region lies within the Sado River nature reserve, where you can watch a pod of dolphins, cycle through rice paddies and pine forests, learn to surf or go horse-riding in the dunes. Local fishermen still repair their nets in Carresqueria and storks nest on almost every pole in the region. Despite its growing appeal, Comporta has retained its authenticity and tranquillity. Located between Comporta and Mélides, Casa do Mar is just a few minutes' walk from Pego beach. You can also get there by crossing fields surrounded by storks and dragonflies.
Casa do Mar pays homage to traditional fishermen's huts with its thatched roofs and walls clad in rice straw - building practices that respect the coastal ecosystem. These 'cabanas' have been brought to life by the decorators Vera Lachia and Jacques Grange. All of the rooms look out onto the garden and have been designed as an invitation to calm and contemplation.
Situated just a stone's throw from the Atlantic, I imagined this house as a tribute to the ocean, marine mammals and nature. A home that respects this biotope, showcases local know-how and houses my marine collection. Pieces such as a sperm whale mandible, tapestries by Anne Laure and a custom-painted fresco by Austin Tondini, Redfield & Dattner, inspired by Cocteau and surrealism, come together to celebrate the beauty of this environment. I have been lucky enough to meet a lot of talented people. Nuno Carvalho, who has traditional expertise in typical local housing. The architect Nuno Lopez designed this house to meet a difficult set of specifications, combining the need for space with budget constraints. The decorator Alexandre Neimann, with whom I worked together to mix my vintage pieces, tapestries, antique furniture and marine objects with pieces of 20th century decorative art and vintage furniture from the 1960s to 1980s, Portuguese ceramics, tables and lighting specially designed by Alexandre for Barracuda Editions. Landscape designer Charlotte Van Houtte designed a sensory promenade winding through pine, fig and olive trees to the swimming pool.
Happiness! Take a ten-minute walk or a five-minute bike ride across the fields to the sublime Pego beach, where you'll be in the company of dragonflies and storks and miles of golden sand, unspoilt vegetation and pinewoods. And you may be lucky enough to see the Sado dolphins surfing the waves. One of Carvalhal's last remaining vegetable farms is close to the house, providing local vegetables and fruit which are picked on a daily basis. There is a cleaner two hours a day to look after the house. As my commitment to marine mammals was at the heart of this project, the house includes a whole range of documentation on marine fauna and raises awareness of the urgent need to protect the ocean, marine animals and the ecological balance.
Galé-Fontainhas beach, lined with tall dunes and five million years old cliffs of fossilised red sandstone. The local restaurant "O Granaho", in Lagoa Formosa, serves good, no-frills Portuguese food at unbeatable prices. Learn to surf with Eduardo at the “Imagine Surf School” on Pego beach. “Jacaré” in Comporta is a sophisticated Brazilian and Italian restaurant and bar inspired by Trancoso in Brazil. Oryza spa Quinta da Comporta in Carvalhal, a magnificent location offering unrivalled treatments. Dunas Comporta Golf, designed by architect David McLay-Kidd, was named "World's and Europe’s Best New Golf Course" and “Europe’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility" in 2024. The bar at the "Vermelho hotel", a Christian Louboutin gem in the small village of Melides.
The house spans 250 m2 and has a dining room, a toilet with washbasins, a kitchen with a central island and, at the rear, a laundry room, a large lounge with access to the outside and a living room divided into a lounge and a dining room. Upstairs behind the kitchen there is a double bedroom and bathroom. From the entrance hall, a corridor leads to the master bedroom with its en suite bathroom, as well as two other bedrooms, one double and the other with two separate or twin beds, sharing the same bathroom. At the far end of the plot there is a “cabana” room with an en suite bathroom.
ref 905637
This property has been added to My favourites
This property has been deleted from My favourites
A link to enter a new password has been sent to you by email.
back
