The Guardian Says Comporta Is Better Than Ibiza

“For a quieter, cheaper, prettier option, my money ’s on Comporta”

British newspaper The Guardian considers Comporta, Portugal, “like Ibiza, but on a really good day”. The small town of Comporta, located on the Tróia Peninsula, is compared to the famous Spanish insular destination, but with lower prices and with no crowds, according to the British paper.

Comporta is located an hour’s drive south of Lisbon, 12 miles west from the A2, the main highway that takes the sun-seeking crowds directly to the Algarve. This town is composed of a 13 mile long stretch of sand in the north of Alentejo. It’s located on the heel of the peninsula, on the most southern extremity of the Sado estuary, between the thick forest and the Atlantic, says the Guardian.

“I stroll along the wooden boardwalk and feel as if I've stumbled on to the White Isle”, we can read in the Guardian’s description, which makes us want to come running to Comporta. “Before me is a sizzling hot beach resplendent with palm umbrellas, sun loungers, and two beach cafes, where people lie on hot-pink bean bags, nodding to chilled-out tunes. The Atlantic sparkles and foamy waves break hard on the shore.”

The British newspaper recommends Ilha do Arroz, a beach lounge and restaurant where the special dishes include pastéis de bacalhau and Bulhão Pato clams. Susannah Osborne, the journalist, mentions that “a stylish crowd hangs out at their restored fishermen's cottages on the waterways behind the village” where they are lodged. “Totally alone, I feel like I'm staging a Foreign Legion desert escape.”

“Comporta has been found only by a knowing few, but it is about to become less of a secret”, the publication goes on to say. There are five hotels, including a luxurious Aman (the first on the Iberian Peninsula), and two golf courses being developed.

“For now it is quiet”, the journalist says.

“Beaches strewn with driftwood and the odd sunseeker greet us at the shore,” she adds. “It's a wonderful place to spend a day.” Further down the coast is dominated by Tróia Resort, a development that some consider a sustainable tourism example. It is the first Portuguese resort to be ISO 14001 certified (a global certification for environmental management). “José Mourinho is rumored to own several luxury properties nearby, which kind of says it all.”