7 days to visit Comporta in Portugal

What is Comporta Portugal known for?

An hour from Lisbon, the Comporta region, located in the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve, is a paradise of tranquillity and solitude. This unspoiled corner of nature offers unusual landscapes consisting of broad wild beaches, rippling dunes, dense pine forests and innumerable birds. Here, no troubles cloud the sky. The area seems to exist to delight all who venture into it. The few trendy residences mix with traditional ‘lojas’. Tourism in Comporta is still underdeveloped, the lifestyle is simple and a little bohemian. 

Spring and autumn are the perfect times to visit Comporta. Dolphin watching, horseback riding in the dunes, surfing or lazing at the beach – there is no shortage of activities, and the gastronomy of the Alentejo region has some delicious surprises in store for you.

Here is a one-week program of tourism in Comporta including activities, houses to rent, restaurants, walks, and more… The best of Comporta:

DAY 1

Ferry crossing

Tourism in Comporta should always start with a ferry crossing between Setúbal and Tróia. This sets the mood, as well as offering a magnificent view of the unspoiled nature of the Tróia peninsula. Keep a lookout, because you just might spot the dolphins of Sado on your way.

Renting a house in Comporta

The best way to visit Comporta and enjoy its relaxing atmosphere is to book a typical local house. Better than a hotel, these ‘casas da Comporta’, built in aged wood with thatched roofs, allow you to disconnect from everyday life and live like an artist in residence or Robinson Crusoe in the middle of nature. It also allows you to isolate yourself when tourism in Comporta is more important during the summer.

Staying at Alma da Comporta

For your visit, stay in one of our holiday rentals in Comporta. Located opposite the rice paddies and close to the beaches, our cabins hold the promise of a peaceful retreat at the end of the world. The architecture is typical of the area, and the décor is simple and cosy. 
The spaces are open to nature – rice paddies and birds can be seen from every room. Large windows bring in the light, and the terraces allow you to relax while soaking up the sun. Each property is equipped with a magnificent swimming pool where you can cool off during the heat of the day. 

We like to advise our travel guests on the region’s activities, the best bars and restaurants. We can also help you organize a gourmet dinner or a massage session at home. Feel free to ask us for a few days of tourism in Comporta or for a longer period.

After exploring the scene, go to the Comporta café to relax drinking a white sangria, with your feet in the sand. You’re on holiday! Let time go by watching the surfers, and wait for the beautiful sunset.

DAY 2

Surfing lessons

Start your day on Carvalhal beach with a must-do activity: a surf lesson in Portugal! Portugal is definitely the best surfing destination in Europe. A mild climate, the ocean and the long wild coasts… conditions are ideal for skimming over the waves all year round. In Comporta, the ‘Surf in Comporta’ school will help you practise this sport, whether you are a beginner or more experienced. Ana and Daniel know the surrounding coasts perfectly and offer courses for all ages and levels. An amazing experience to enjoy with family or friends.

Lunch at O Dinis

After your morning swim, enjoy delicious fresh grilled fish at O Dinis beach restaurant as you watch the fishermen along the shoreline. The children play in the little huts on the sand – what a perfect day!

Walking in the rice paddies

It is impossible to visit Comporta without discovering its legendary rice fields. In the late afternoon let yourself be tempted to take a walk in the famous paddy fields of Comporta. Green, yellow or a mirror of water, they are at the heart of the life of Comporta and define the landscape according to the season. To get to know them better and discover the flora and fauna they shelter, you have to get lost in them and observe the birds, the streams and the old fishermen’s huts. An atmosphere of quiet harmony reigns, disturbed only by the clattering beaks of the storks, and the croaking of the frogs. Perfect for wandering on foot, by bike, on horseback or even on a paddleboard!

A chef at home

Enjoy the magnificent views from your accommodation by organising a dinner with a chef in your cabin. We will be able to advise you on the ideal chef according to your preference: barbecue on the deck, local family dishes or modern Portuguese cuisine. 

DAY 3

Comporta’s port on stilts

Start your day by visiting a major attraction of tourism in Comporta: Carrasqueira‘s port on stilts. This is a timeless place, suspended between sky and sea. Boats float by, or run aground in the mud, depending on the tides. Enhancing this view, many small wooden cabins (classified as a national heritage) run along the pier. It is a wonderful place for lovers of photography.

Continue your walk and visit Comporta village. Its whitewashed and blue-blue streets are charming. The houses with their thatched roofs, the storks perched on the chimneys, and the beautiful church make this an enchanting place.

Sit in the small square at the entrance to Comporta to have brunch at Be Comporta restaurant. A nice colourful place where the cuisine is tasty and healthy. 

Horse riding in Comporta

Comporta is the perfect setting for a horseback ride. José Ribeiro of Cavalos Na Areira offers fantastic rides through the rice paddies, over the dunes and along the beach at sunset. The instructors will let anyone ride, regardless of age or level. For more information, click here.

Wine and tapas at ‘Gomes Casa’

After this unforgettable experience, have a drink and a few tapas on the lawn at ‘Gomes Casa de Vinhos & Petiscos’, in the heart of the village of Comporta. Adrien will introduce you to the best wines of the region. He also organises very successful ‘fado’ parties – ask him the date of the next one.

DAY 4

Cruise in the Sado estuary

Head to the Tróia marina and board the Vertigem Azul catamaran, to spend the morning observing the birds and dolphins in the Sado nature reserve. The purple heron, the marsh harrier, the greater flamingo, the pied avocet and the spoonbill populate the woods, salt marshes, rice paddies and sandy heaths of the Tróia lagoon and the beautiful coast of Arrábida. A wonderful sight for young and old! For more information, click here.

Massage at home

After this sea trip, laze on the terrace of your cabin and use the time to have a massage at home, preferably outdoors, facing the rice paddies. We will be happy to advise you on one of our best partners.

Dinner at the trendy ‘Sal Restaurante’

End your day by dining at the famous Sal restaurant on Pego beach. This is, without a doubt, Comporta’s trendiest beach restaurant. Here you can enjoy delicious seafood, a remarkable plate of rice with cuttlefish ink, salads and carpaccios of fresh octopus, all while watching the sun sink into the ocean.

DAY 5

A day in Melides

Take the road south to the charming village of Melides, a 15-minute drive away. Take a stroll through this typical village of the Alentejo region and stop at the market for a coffee. The atmosphere is very friendly and the stalls are colourful.

A ‘farm to table’ cooking class

For lunch, you can plan a cooking class and a big barbecue in the great outdoors with Antonio and Marta, the team of the new brand “Twopack Kitchen”. The duo will introduce you to local organic produce from the region, before preparing an extensive meal at the top of a hill with stunning views of the area. 

A beach with cliffs of ochre 

Then spend the afternoon on the beautiful beach of Galé – Fontainhas. This beach is fringed with extraordinary fossil cliffs in red sandstone. In these unusual cliffs, you can see formations which are nearly five million years old. The landscape is impressive and its beauty is magnified at sunset, when the ochre colours of the cliffs shimmer in the light.

DAY 6

Meditation and spirituality

Start your day serenely with a yoga session facing the paddy fields. This can take place in your cabin with your personal teacher, recommended by your host Charline, or in a group with Tomás at Yoga Shala Comporta. His wooden cabin is hidden among the pines and dunes, facing beautiful rice paddies. It is a particularly inspiring place to practice yoga and meditation. The Shala is open every summer, from June to September, and offers daily yoga classes (check with them for schedules).

Culture and bohemian chic shopping

After these moments of spirituality, enjoy a delicious fresh fruit juice with a ‘torrada’ (hot-buttered toast) at the lovely Colmo Bar, located at the entrance to the village of Comporta. 

Take the opportunity for a tour of the ‘Casa da Cultura’. This cultural establishment, in the heart of the village, aims to promote Portuguese culture and crafts. Temporary art exhibitions are held in the building’s gallery. The large hall next door houses a dozen pop-up shops during the summer. 

Finish this week of tourism in Comporta by shopping in the trendy shops of the village, where you will find clothes, accessories and décor items in the bohemian chic spirit of Comporta. The antique shops of Carvalhal are also good places to find lovely souvenirs of your stay here. 

Lazing at the beach

Spend the afternoon on the beach of Comporta and make the most of this wonderful wild setting to read, rest and enjoy gourmet ‘bolas de Berlim’ (traditional doughnuts filled with cream) offered by the vendors who traverse this huge beach.

Wine tasting at Herdade da Comporta.

You can’t spend a week of tourisme in Comporta without planning a local wine tasting. Schedule a late afternoon wine tasting at the Herdade da Comporta, which offers tours of the winery and wine tastings. The environment is beautiful!

Dinner at ‘Cavalariça’

Make your final evening last longer by going to Cavalariça. This former stable converted into a restaurant offers original, delicious cocktails, as well as appetising Brazilian and Portuguese tapas.

DAY 7

Make the most of your morning with a last dip in the pool, and breakfast looking at the rice paddies. Leave this wonderful corner of paradise with your mind rested and your head full of memories.