38°24’24”N, 8°45’49”W Comporta Hideaway, Portugal
The House
Designed by renowned Portuguese architect Manuel Aires Mateus, these beautifully crafted huts present an angular profile, sitting side by side like long-time lovers. Recalling the mediaeval fishing piers of Carrasqueira – where fishermen and women built stilted boardwalks across the tidal mudflats to reach their barques – the huts are constructed entirely with rough-hewn, raw-edged, reclaimed timber.
Interiors are stripped back to lay bare the structure and allow the breathtaking views to take over, but there’s still room for romance. A double bed draped with white netting and petite proportions make for a cosy sleeping space, emphasising the sheltering nature of the huts and their estuary setting.
The first cabin houses the bedroom with ensuite bathroom – the shower can be used open-air, or behind closed doors if you prefer – and the second is a snug living room and basic cooking facilities: an electric stove, mini-fridge and sink is all you need to cook up simple, hearty meals. Outside, a wooden deck leading to a private pier invites you to explore in your own kayak, or sink into a comfy seat and soak up the silence.
Off Grid Fact File
How far to the nearest…
- Neighbour 100m
- Beach 3km
- Shop 1km
- Café 1km
- Town 3km
- Airport 115km
Location On the riverbanks, between vivid green rice paddies, grass-covered dunes and the Atlantic sea, but a stone’s throw from Comporta, the hip Lisbonites’ summer escape.
Build Reclaimed fishermen’s huts – building on a sustainable ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ mantra – reimagined and reconstructed off-site, then transported back to Comporta. The barked costaneiros planks used are those cut from the log first and last.
Energy Local electric supply. Minimal appliances and simple lighting in the huts. Tap water needs to be boiled before drinking, but bottled water is provided.
Digital detox No TVs, no distractions, just the bare essentials.
Creature comforts Mosquito net. Capsule coffee machine. IPod dock. WiFi on request only.
Quiet Season Pleasures
Outside the summer months, when Comporta thrums with bohemian life, it’s miraculously serene (and mosquito-free). Birdwatchers flock to the region to enjoy the spectacle of migration from October to April, and a mild climate makes for perfect days exploring followed by cosy nights retreating.
Go slow
Kayak or cycle along myriad meandering waterways, or seek out the estuary’s unique breeding colony of bottlenose dolphins. Ride placid horses beside the dunes or through the surf with riding guides from Cavalos Na Areia. Walk along the beach before browsing Comporta’s low-key artisan boutiques.
Pack a picnic and sit on the fisherman’s quay for sunset views. Bring your zoom lens and binoculars for tracking the Sado Estuary’s bird species. Watch flamingos parade past as the tide pours slowly in and out, changing the view moment by moment.
Why we love it
«Humble simplicity that steals the breath and balances the soul»