Alma da Comporta

Alma da Comporta is set among the pines with a private tennis court, which in this part of the coast is unusual — most houses here choose the pool and stop. Five bedrooms, ten guests, and an architecture that keeps to the horizontal lines Comporta is known for.

The private pool sits on a terrace facing the trees. Indoors there is a fireplace, and the living space is arranged around the outside rather than away from it. The seven-night minimum is a fair reflection of what the house is for: this is not a weekend address.

Comporta rewards the longer stay. The beaches take a while to learn, the rice fields change with the light, and the restaurants are spread out enough that eating well takes planning. Between the tennis court, the pool and the pines, the house holds a group of ten for a week without anyone needing to leave.