Travel

Comporta

Establishment neighborhood
Hotel Vermelho
R. Dr. Evaristo Sousa Gago 2, Melides
From the design eye that brought you red bottoms, Hotel Vermelho is an eclectic new boutique hotel in the quiet artists’ village of Melides. Christian Louboutin first arrived here over a decade ago and quickly adopted the town as a retreat: It’s removed from both the buzz of Lisbon, which is a little over an hour north, and the busier beach town of Comporta. The hotel has only 13 rooms, each decked out in jewel-tone tiles with personal touches, like hand-painted wall details and antiques from Louboutin’s personal collection. The sheets and slippers are embroidered in his signature scarlet. And even though it’s in town, the property feels private and deeply restful. Guests can breeze through their afternoons in a state of siesta, melt into Ayurvedic treatments at the teensy spa, and ride down to the beach to watch the sunset light up the sandstone cliffs.
Casas Na Areia
Sítio da Carrasqueira, Comporta
Portuguese architects and brothers Manuel Aires Mateus designed this stunning beachfront property, which was selected to represent Portugal in the Venice Bienal of Architecture in 2010 (the year the hotel opened). The buildings are decidedly modern—think white linens, sleek bathrooms, and pared-down décor—but the aesthetic draws on the local textures with thatched roofs and sandy floors. The service here, while attentive, is as minimalist as the aesthetic, which only adds to the remarkable seclusion of the entire operation. When you finish ogling the beautiful architecture, wander to the beach to watch dolphins and other wildlife, or organize a beachfront adventure on horseback. Photos: Nelson Garrido.