COMPORTA
ABOUT COMPORTA
Having been compared as the Hamptons of Western Europe, Comporta’s boho-chic white washed village and surrounding areas is most possibly, Portugal’s best kept secret. The region has 60 Kilometers of pristine turquoise beaches with white soft sand, surrounded by untouched cinematic dunes, umbrella pine forests and dotted with rice paddies. The flora and fauna found in this sublime region, make-up for a rich and unique biodiverse ecosystem, where over 600 species have been listed.
​
Just over an hour’s drive south of Lisbon, you’ll unravel a wild paradise where life is both untamed and poetic, uncomplicated and unpretentious, where there is both nothing and everything to do. Comporta has long been a refuge for creatives finding inspiration in its raw scenery and down-to-earth charm with a predilection for a “Slow Life”.
​
The irresistible and unparalleled crossroad between the raw natural world, tradition and the ultra-modern refined architecture, has drawn the likes of Jacques Grange, Philippe Starck, Madonna, Christian Louboutin, Monica Bellucci, Carla Bruni, Nicolas Sarkozy and most recently George Clooney. But has for decades been the hide-out for the wealthier Portuguese families, vacationing royalty and politicians.
​
But be mistaken not, despite its growing popularity, its understated stylish atmosphere, the area remains unspoilt and still feels like it’s just beginning, that the secret isn’t well and truly out yet.
THE LIFESTYLE
Comporta is like none other, a wild paradise of untamed beauty with its driftwood, chic-barefoot-style and gentle breeze. Here, life is both untamed and poetic with cinematic images of Thomas Crown cruising the dunes on his buggy. It's a haven for hedonists of the bohemian persuasion, where there is both nothing and everything to do.
​
Life in Comporta is uncomplicated, laid-back and unpretentious. In Comporta lunches carry into dinners, The place breathes of a “slow living”, where lunches carry into dinners and where one connects with the nature and lives in the moment.
​
For first timers lured by the promise of Portugal’s chicest beach town, the town itself can feel remarkably underwhelming. Yet give it some time, and it’s one of those places that begins to unravel its secrets.
The region is comprised of many kilometers, where places are spread out and not obvious. Demand highly outtakes offer and services can be challenging to be found, which feed and incredible charm to this understated region.
THE ARCHITECTURE
Comporta’s style is about the simplicity, authenticity and raw beauty. It’s the perfect integration between the natural environment while keeping the respect for local traditions, where the predilection of a “Slow Life” has strongly inspired numerous architects and decorators, whose work has been featured in countless renowned fashion and interior decorating magazines.
​
They have found creative fuel in the region, re-appropriating the sandy-floored local vernacular huts, into modern bohemian "Comporta cabanas”, keeping the thatched roofing, regional arts and artisanry and raw materials, with an eye on a sustainable and ecological design.
Comporta is like a crossroad between the wild natural world and the ultra-modern refined new architecture, which is peppered throughout the countryside, so hidden away in the nature that one may struggle to find.
THE HISTORY
Comporta can trace her history to Neolithic man and was once a strategic outpost for the Roman Empire who fished and salted their catch prior to sending throughout the rest of their empire. The area has traditionally been a hub of agricultural activity, home to salt works, fishing communities, and rice fields. Nowadays, the area is still a hive of agricultural production with her best crops now being those of rice and vineyards,
In 1956, the Espírito Santo family – once Portugal’s largest banking dynasty –bought the 12,500 acres of massive agricultural estate, constituted in 1836 and which constitutes the majority of land which make up modern Comporta. The family owned the land up-until 2014, when following the collapse of their bank, courts ordered the family to put the land up for sale.
For decades, Comporta has always attracted the wealthier Portuguese families, vacationing royalty, politicians and celebrities, however, has remained largely undeveloped. Following the Espirito Santo’s collapse and the massive land being up for sale, the estate found new owners, who started developing the area while striving to maintain the ‘unique characteristics’ of the region and preserve its agricultural and forestry activities.
THE FUTURE
Comporta still feels like it’s just in the beginning. While interior designer Jacques Grange has been there for decades and Christian Louboutin has recently renovated a handful of houses, the A-listers have only just begun to cotton on to Comporta’s charms. Forbes may have heralded Comporta as the Hamptons of the 70’s, but stroll its sleepy streets and it still feels like the secret isn’t truly out yet.
​
As Comporta continues to earn something of an international name for itself and following the recent real estate boom in Portugal, the region has unsurprisingly caught the eye of investors from all over the world, who are now bringing-in new development projects into the region in the forthcoming years:
​
Comporta Retreat, with 28 plots ranging from 2,519 to 6,440 sq m on which a property of between 385 and 500 sq m can be built, Muda Reserve, from Vanguard Properties, with 175 villas and 50 larger farms, CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club, from giant Arizona-based Discovery Land Company, which has a portfolio of more than a dozen high-end residential clubs in the United States and the Caribbean, the futuristic yet sustainable project of Umay Boutique Resort, which will offer 28 hotel rooms, 21 treehouses, and ten private villas. This is just to name a few.
​
INVESTMENT
Comporta has managed to avoid the limelight due to a series of regulations that restrict construction in the region, aiming at protecting the natural reserve. These restrictions apply not only to the height, density and visual impact of construction but also prevent developments within 500 meters of the beach. Because of the construction limitations, property is set to continuously become more competitive with a strong potential for capital appreciation.
Property in Comporta, is already a strong asset with sustained values, averaging around twelve percent per annum, over the last five years. Facts on the ground prove that due to the demand, some pockets of real estate in Comporta have doubled in price and it’s estimated that this growth will continue over the coming years. Even with the travel restrictions due to Covid-19 over the last quarter of 2020, property prices in Comporta and Melides continued to rise.
Portugal is known to have good economic growth and steady returns from property investments. While it is easy to see why the demand for homes in Comporta is on the rise, property for sale in Comporta is in short supply.
