Where to buy property in Comporta, Portugal
For many years a sleepy coastal town of low-slung pine fishermen’s huts and rice paddy fields, Comporta became a word-of-mouth escape for bohemians or friends of the Espírito Santo family who owned the estate, which comprised most of the area. When the estate was sold in 2014 the land was freed up for development, the rustic-chic Sublime Comporta hotel began drawing the jet set, and hip boutique developments of cabana-style wooden villas began springing up among the pine forests.
Regulars at the so-called Hamptons of Portugal include the former president of France Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, the football coach José Mourinho and the pop star Madonna alongside wealthy Lisboetas. “The area is also attracting 30 and 40-year-old crypto-currency entrepreneurs or digital nomads who like surfing and can run their business from anywhere,” says Charles Roberts of Fine & Country estate agency.
But with strict limits on supply, it’s hard to buy a home for less than €1 million, he says. “Four years ago homes that were selling for around €400,000 are now €1.5 million. It is possible to buy an individual property for renovation for around €500,000 to €600,000, but you will spend the same again on it.”
This price point will prevent Comporta losing its upmarket edge, reckons Charlie, a British expat who works in fintech. He and his wife bought a three-bedroom villa overlooking the paddy fields in March, a 90-minute drive from their home in the Cascais near Lisbon. “I’ve been coming here ten years and it’s retained its unshowy and special charm because of the rigorous planning restrictions,” he says. “Sublime Comporta Beach Club or Sal’s fish restaurant are go-to places, and O Dinis a favourite for freshly caught dorade or robalo on the barbecue.”
Some of Comporta’s early adopters have been moving a few kilometres south to Melides, an even more pristine paradise that was under the radar until the actor George Clooney was rumoured to be buying there. Among the French designers there are Christian Louboutin and Philippe Starck, along with Jason Martin, the British artist with whom Lydia Janssen, a half-Portuguese artist, collaborated last summer.
Janssen and her husband, Luke, an entrepreneur, are based in Bali, but they and their three children fell in love with the endless untouched beaches along the Atlantic coast backed by sand dunes, umbrella pines and cork trees. “Comporta is super-cool, but it’s flat and you don’t get the great sea views as you do in hilly Melides,” Luke says of their 75-acre plot, where they plan to create an eco-community.