Tucked along Portugal’s Northern Alentejo Coast of Portugal is the small, cozy seaside village of Comporta.

I fell in love with Comporta on my very first visit. The vibe there is distinctly understated, old and authentic, but also fresh and new at the same time. It is stylish in its own Portuguese, beachy way with an easy, unhurried calm that settles in immediately.

The people of Comporta reflect a unique blend of original salt-of-the-earth locals with European and American newcomers including many celebrities and wealthy part-time residents. There are also farming and agricultural professionals and, of course, the community’s beloved Portuguese fishermen.

The topography of the land swings from sandy, coastal beach front areas, to more scrubby dry terrain with umbrella pine forests, then to lush irrigated agricultural rice fields. These landscapes form an eco-system that attracts a wide range of migratory bird species. Comporta is bordered on the North by the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve where you will find many of these birds.

Just beyond Comporta is a tiny village called Carrasqueira on the Sado River. This village is home to the historic Cais Palafitico da Carasqueira, a maze of wooden huts and docks built with poles that house the fishing boats for generations of pescadores (fishermen). These fishermen are revered in the community and have tirelessly fed the people of the Alentejo for decades since the 1950’s.

As the region trends toward a more upscale future, it faces the delicate challenge of preserving its history and cultural identity as a place rooted in farming and fishing. Let’s hope the true heart and soul of Comporta is preserved.

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