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A round trip through the Portuguese Alentejo
Eight routes to fall in love with Portugal
Not so long ago, let's say some 70 or 80 years ago, some women from the Alentejo region still gathered around public laundries to clean their clothes.
Those tanks on which they made a viscous artisan soap float remain today as a relic of a Portugal oblivious to technological revolutions, attached to tradition and away from the rush to which a tribute is now being paid at Sublime Comporta, one of the best luxury hotels the world, according to
The New York Times
.
A real whim to take into account when the land border between Spain and Portugal is reopened, scheduled for April 16.
The heart of the sophisticated hotel complex is a steel pool, inspired precisely by those humble pools.
And hopefully those
lavadeiras
could enjoy it today.
They would then discover that on the outskirts of Comporta, just over an hour south of Lisbon, on an area of 17 hectares of pines and cork oaks, there is a set of sophisticated residences which, due to their respectful integration into a dominated landscape through sand dunes, vineyards and rice fields, it is hard to call a hotel.
They would also be surprised to see how the construction techniques with which the fishermen of the area raised their houses, often with their hands, have left their mark on the contemporary architecture of the rooms.
And they would not give credit to know that international celebrities, from Madonna to Christian Louboutin to Nicolas Sarkozy, have turned these lands - which the Espírito Santo banking family acquired in the 1950s - into an exclusive retreat.
enlarge photo Detail of the decoration of the Sublime Comporta hotel (Portugal).
The luxury, discreet and unpretentious, and respect for the environment are appreciated in every detail of its 23 rooms and
suites
and in its 22 villas, with between two and five rooms.
But it is the Biosphere Certificate obtained in 2019, a distinction received by properties that guarantee long-term environmental, social and economic sustainability, which is proof of this.
Here are a couple of examples: some of the villas include trees that have been incorporated as part of the architecture to prevent their felling, and each of the houses, 100% autonomous in the use of drinking water, contains numerous utensils of local production (from wicker lamps to soaps) that ensure the social sustainability of the workers in the area.
With the memory of the fishermen who built their houses on the port of Comporta, the Bio-Pool Suites have also been built, nine apartments that rise above a biological pool through stilts.
Inaugurated in 2019, its architecture is an evolution of that of the artisanal fishing huts in the port of Carrasqueira.
Located on one of the largest biological pools in all of Europe, from the terrace the guest can immerse themselves in waters for whose maintenance chemicals have been replaced by the action of algae and aquatic plants, which have turned the pool into a purified ecosystem in a way natural.
The pleasure of taking a bath with your eyes on a cork tree should be prescribed against stress.
A 'bacalhau à Brás', please
Strolling through the enclosure, the orchard with various Portuguese and traditional fruit trees of the region, such as the tangerine of Carvalhal and Setúbal, along with exotic species, such as
kumquat
, lemon caviar and Buddha's hand, which grow next to a garden with more than 300 organic species.
Many of its fruits are used in Food Circle, one of Sublime's four culinary proposals.
The restaurant, organized around a large table for a maximum of 12 diners, focuses its offer on a selection of organic dishes inspired by the principles of permaculture, which uses only ancient cooking methods and the help of fire, together with the fragrance that aromatic herbs and edible flowers leave on your dishes.
enlarge photo Sem Porta Restaurant, in the Sublime Comporta hotel, in Alentejo (Portugal).
The second option is the hotel's main restaurant, Sem Porta, located in the main building and inspired by the rice warehouses in the area.
This one recovers in its menu some of the Alentejo regional dishes, with products supplied by local fishermen and farmers.
The most direct and open-air gastronomic bet is the Tasca, open only in summer, which bases its offer on a refined review of the traditional
Portuguese
petiscos
to share:
bacalhau à Brás
, black pork cheeks or the popular cheese of the region.
The fourth option appears 10 minutes away by car, on Carvalhal beach, the wildest and somewhat less crowded stretch of sand that is a continuation of Comporta.
At the Beach Club, a refuge for those seeking the calm that summer takes away from the beaches, the ceilings and walls have been covered with rough cane and wood.
It is an imitation of the construction techniques used in the past in local traditional houses to preserve freshness.
With your eyes fixed on the waters of the 60 kilometers of the Comporteña coast, the day seems perfect when you choose from the menu a fish fresh from the beach, oysters or shellfish, better if it is accompanied by the wines of the area.
Sublime's proposal includes a
spa
, whose therapists use rice and salt from the area in their treatments.
Everything contributes to relaxation here, also the outdoor yoga pavilion.
Although in terms of relaxation it is difficult to compete with a long walk by the sea, with an eye on the Alentejo horizon.
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