Portugal - Alentejo & Comporta

 "We're from the slow country. We have a different pace of life. And it makes life look pretty good. Slow is smart. Slow is a skill. Slow is progress. So if you're in a hurry, drink wine slowly. Drink life slowly. There are many ways to move forward. This is ours." 

- Herdade do Esporão

Beaches of Melides

Where it all began...I fell in love with Portugal here by the Ocean. A reminder of home in New Hampshire mixed with European calm. Endless beaches, farms, seafood, sunsets, wine and the kindest people I have ever met in the world. Comporta itself has become a bit of a scene but further south around Sines, Melides, Porto Covo and Santiago do Cacem still lies the untouched beauty that Comporta once was. Simplicity at its best - long beaches with breathtaking sunsets, small shacks selling crispy goodness and a slower way of life served up with the best wine in Portugal. Someone told me Alentejo has some of the most delicious food in the world and I can see why - rustic and local, not a trend, but a way of life. 

Sleepy and Sweet Santiago do Cacem 

Alentejo is a bigger region south and east of Lisbon that requires a few days of driving, getting lost on dirt roads and enjoying the wandering adventures through beach towns to farmlands. It is quiet and local and full of cows, vineyards, pigs and views that are out of a storybook. The core coastal towns are Comporta, Porto Covo, Melides and Sines and then we headed inland towards Evora and Monsaraz which are in rural wine territory closer to the Spanish border. Both are great areas of Alentejo, but a completely different vibe. It gets very hot inland so just be sure to book a hotel with a pool or hide out in some Roman baths during the midday heat and sun as the few lakes offer little respite. 

Beach Heaven xx

The Essentials:

• Hotels: Octant in Santiago do Cacem and ECork Hotel in Evora (L'AND Vineyards was unavailable but supposedly a lovely spot recommended by locals)
• The Black Pig Distillery near Santiago do Cacem
• Beaches: Praia da Gale-Fontainhas, Praia da Ilha do Pessegueiro, Porto Covo
• Restaurants: Villa Mariscos, Grandola // Lameslas in Porto Covo was my favourite // Cavalarica Restaurant in Comporta or Evora // Enoteca Cartuxa in Evora // Quinta do Lourenco
• Best Winery & Lunch: Adega Hardade do Espora 
• Sunset Bars: Lanca Bar @ Melides Beach and Sal at Pego Beach for sunset cocktails (or Sublime if you want more of a scene) 
• Local Artisans & Shops: Fabrica Alentejana de Lanificios (textiles), Azeite Amor e Cego (olive oil) and By Heart home shop in Grandola