You can access Comporta by land or by sea, from the port of Setubal. We chose the first solution. No regrets, because the arrival by car immediately sets the tone. Access is via a straight road bordered, on the right and left, by dunes and maritime pines as far as the eye can see, with the ocean and the lagoon. A virgin landscape, which made the success of this peninsula of 15 kilometers long and barely 2 kilometers wide, south of Lisbon.
A little paradise where the Espirito Santo dynasty settled in the 1950s before showing the place to its wealthy friends. Often compared to the Hamptons or Cap Ferret of the 1970s, it has become the landmark of jet-set stars. From Madonna, who regularly comes here to ride her thoroughbreds, to Jacques Grange, the decorator who launched the destination. Passing by Mick Jagger, Claudia Schiffer or even Philippe Starck, several times seen on these fine sandy beaches. After several kilometers and while the decor remains unchanged, we even manage to wonder where these happy few are hiding their refuge. They come here looking for simplicity, authenticity, and live in wooden cabins, drowned in the middle of the pine forest, with their feet in the sand. Without ostentatious luxury.
» Read also - Golf: travel guide, info and advice from Le Figaro
"An exemplary approach"
This is also the bias of the golf course of Troia, at the end of the peninsula, which has also slipped between dunes and pines, and which does not spread out verdant fairways or finely chiseled lawns. It is an Anglo-Saxon links, authentic, shaped by Mother Nature, and which, contrary to what one might think, has not just come out of the ground with the tourist explosion of Comporta. This track, which hosted the Portuguese Open in 1983, is even about to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Ranked 17th most beautiful golf resort in continental Europe by Golf World magazine, it stretches along the Sado estuary, offering over five holes splendid views of the Atlantic. “According to the American architect, the 3 is one of the most magnificent that he has ever had the opportunity to design, adds Alexandre Barroso, the golf director. And if he were to make a composite course of his most beautiful holes, this one would feature prominently. It must be said that this signature hole is a par 4 whose tee and green overlook the bay. Just like the 4, a nice par 3 along the beach.
Le Troia, a technical course
After sinking into the vegetation, the course returns to the ocean from hole 14 with a breathtaking finish. Technically, the course is narrow, its greens remain extremely well defended and the rough is none other than the sand of the dunes, planted with gorse. It's very practical to find your ball, more complicated to get out, but above all it allows you to better manage the irrigation of the course. Of the 40 hectares of land, only half is planted with lawn, Bermuda Grass, a grass that requires little water. “The golf course is located in a natural park classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and we make it a point of honor to have an exemplary environmental approach, which has earned us the GEO certification, welcomes Alexandre Barroso. Thanks to good irrigation management, we saved 45 million liters of water in 2018. We exclusively use treated water from the retention basin of the Troia resort, of which the golf course is an integral part.”
@AskNationwide I need to make an appointment to add someone to my mortgage but I need to check so@ethtibg in your p… https://t .co/PsTX5wtDon
— Hannah Crane Sun Aug 02 20:08:00 +0000 2020
A 450-hectare estate built in the early 1970s which, alas, detracts somewhat from the charm of the destination. At the time, the tourist industry had the annoying habit of installing luxury hotels and apartments in skyscrapers. Today, the towers are still there, housing two hotels, four and five stars. But the owner of the premises, the company Sonae - the leading Portuguese industrial group present in mass distribution, ready-to-wear, telecommunications, tourism - is continuing to develop the resort with wooden houses, more in harmony with the environment. spirit of the region, where all constructions are prohibited on the very edge of the coast. After the game, we cannot advise you enough to go for a stroll in the alleys of Comporta (“the door where the water passes” in Portuguese), a very small village on the edge of a rice field. Three streets with an art gallery, trendy concept stores, bars - but no nightclubs, it's not the kind of house - and a few restaurants, always simple but chic. This is the whole spirit of Comporta, the one to which the regulars of the place are so attached.
€102 the green fee. www.troiaresort.pt
Convenient behavior
Getting there
It takes about 1 hour to reach Comporta from Lisbon airport, by road or by boat from the port of Setubal. TAP Portugal, Air France, Transavia, easyJet, Vueling, Ryanair… serve Lisbon from Paris: easyJet and TAP also offer departures from Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon or Nantes.
Sleeping
Five minutes from the golf course, the Troia Design Hotel (5 stars) offers rooms with 360° views of Sado Bay and the Arrábida Mountains. The panorama is even more breathtaking on the 14th and last floor. From €104 per night, preferential green-fee at €65.www.troiadesignhotel.com
Eat outComporta café: an excellent grilled fish restaurant, feet in the sand, where Patricia and her husband Luis (in the kitchen) welcome you for lunch and dinner in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Ideal for watching the sunset. www.comportacafe.com.pt
Sal: an institution housed in a wooden hut overlooking the beach of Pêgo, the most chic of Comporta, where it is not uncommon to come across a celebrity who has come to feast on seafood and fish. www.restaurantesal.pt
Gomes: the annex of the Comporta delicatessen where you can taste excellent tapas and good Portuguese wines. The manager, Adrien, is French and gives excellent advice on making your choice. Such. : + (351) 265 497 748.
