No doubt, Comporta is a very desirable location. The get-away, an hour south of Lisbon, sits on the edge of rice fields and is a short hop to large immaculate beaches. It is a popular weekend escape for fashionable Portuguese city-dwellers, and a magnet for European jetsetters in search of sophisticated but laid-back ambiance.

Some glossy magazines have declared Comporta as the “new Hamptons”, or even Portugal’s version of St. Tropez or Ibiza. Well, we have to disagree.

Comporta is a must-go location for sure. But don’t expect a “scene”. Comporta is the kind of place where guests at five star hotels where flip-flops and floppy hats. They are not rushing anywhere. A glass of champagne at sunset at the beach café, or strolling for sundresses in the village is the excitement for the day as only “the luxury of taking things slow” can be. Of course, five-star accommodations, private villas and fine dining restaurants provide elevated comfort during the (recommended) long-term stay.