Real Estate is Booming in the Chic Seaside Region of Comporta in Portugal
An hour south of Lisbon, the chic seaside region of Comporta is seeing a spate of luxury real estate development.
When it comes to vacation home destinations in Portugal, the Algarve, in the south, may have an international name, but the cognoscenti and well-heeled are increasingly gravitating to Comporta. An hour drive south of Lisbon, Comporta is part of the country’s Alentejo region and comprised of small villages that dot the coastline including one of the same name. It’s an area with a flat landscape that’s full of rice fields, pine trees, sand dunes, and farms.
“Ten years ago, no one had heard of Comporta, but now it’s on the map because there are so many real estate projects happening there,” says Alex Koch de Gooreynd, a partner at the real estate firm Knight Frank and an expert on Portugal’s real estate. But despite the development, he says that the various properties are well spread out and in line with Comporta’s barefoot living ethos.
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.
The Atlantic Club Comporta, debuting in early 2024, is another residential community that’s getting attention. The celebrated French designer Grange, who has a home nearby, is leading the design and says that it will have a laid-back but chic feel. The property is composed of 21 single-story villas that are built around a courtyard. They range in size from 3,000 to 6,500 square feet and have landscaped gardens and swimming pools; prices begin at $3.5 million.
Muda Reserve is also currently under construction and from a Portuguese real estate company named Vanguard Properties. It features 175 villas with swimming pools and amenities such as a church, sports fields, a playground, a co-working space, grocery store, and restaurant. Home prices begin at $1.3 million.
The fourth new Comporta project on our list is the Estates at Spatia Comporta, offering 38 homes that are a mix of one- and two-bedrooms. They have a clean, contemporary design with elements such as light hues, thatched roofs, and panes of glass. Each property features two patios. Prices begin at $1.8 million.
And last, JNcQUOI Club is yet another Comporta residential community that’s under construction. The renowned Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen is in charge of the architecture and interior design while the long lineup of amenities includes multiple restaurants and bars, a tennis club, and a beach club. The number of homes and their prices has not yet been released.
The fourth new Comporta project on our list is the Estates at Spatia Comporta, offering 38 homes that are a mix of one- and two-bedrooms. They have a clean, contemporary design with elements such as light hues, thatched roofs, and panes of glass. Each property features two patios. Prices begin at $1.8 million.
And last, JNcQUOI Club is yet another Comporta residential community that’s under construction. The renowned Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen is in charge of the architecture and interior design while the long lineup of amenities includes multiple restaurants and bars, a tennis club, and a beach club. The number of homes and their prices has not yet been released.
To Koch de Gooreynd’s point, Comporta may never get overdeveloped. However, with so many residential ventures coming to the region and the blockbuster architects and designers behind them, it’s unlikely to stay under the radar for much longer. Let the bidding wars begin.