{"id":311672,"date":"2026-08-01T21:00:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T21:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/311672\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T21:00:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T21:00:38","slug":"where-to-eat-sleep-and-shop-in-melides-portugal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/311672\/","title":{"rendered":"Where to Eat, Sleep and Shop in Melides, Portugal"},"content":{"rendered":"

T\u2019s monthly travel series, Flocking To<\/a>, highlights places you might already have on your wish list, sharing tips from frequent visitors and locals alike. Sign up here<\/a> to find us in your inbox once a month, along with our weekly roundup of cultural recommendations, monthly beauty guides and the latest stories from our print issues. Have a question? You can always reach us at tmagazine@nytimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Melides, a tiny village about 80 miles south of Lisbon on Portugal\u2019s Alentejo coast, is in the early \u2014 and, some hope, only \u2014 stages of transforming from an agricultural hamlet into a design destination. For centuries it\u2019s been a humble place centered on growing rice and harvesting cork. The area is blessed with bird-filled wetlands, forested hills and miles of undeveloped coastline.<\/p>\n

The British artist Jason Martin arrived from London in 2007, looking for someplace where he could afford to be creative on a large scale. \u201cI was thinking, well, where is the Atlantic? Where is rustic? What\u2019s the last exotic place in Europe?\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s right down here.\u201d<\/p>\n

It felt, he says, like the Hamptons in the 1950s \u2014 gorgeous, unruly and undiscovered. Martin bought a sizable piece of land; to get permission to build a studio on it, he planted a vineyard and went into the wine business. A few years later, the shoe designer Christian Louboutin<\/a> turned his attention away from nearby Comporta \u2014 which had been steadily turning into one of the country\u2019s liveliest summer destinations \u2014 and began to buy property in Melides. The textile and ceramics designer Carolina Irving, a friend of Louboutin\u2019s who\u2019d moved back to Paris from New York, was looking for a seaside retreat. There were just a few small houses for sale in Melides, all belonging to fishermen and rice farmers. \u201cWe discovered this magical place on a rice field with a lagoon and a dirt path with the beach at the end,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

In 2023, Louboutin opened the luxurious Vermelho Melides hotel in the center of town. The designer and architect Philippe Starck and the French interior designer Jacques Grange also have homes in the region. A controversial new development with multimillion-dollar homes is attracting even more boldface names. Locals are increasingly concerned about affordability and the demands that a larger population would impose on the area\u2019s fragile ecosystem. A few years ago, Louboutin co-founded Intertidal Melides, a conservation nonprofit, with the Italian winemaker Noemi Marone Cinzano, among others.<\/p>\n

Yet for now Melides remains a small village of whitewashed houses, a church square, less than a handful of cafes and restaurants, and very little nightlife. It has fewer than 1,500 permanent residents. Construction is tightly controlled, especially near the water. Irving was able to build on her land because it had a ruin on it, but she had to stick to the former building\u2019s original footprint, and her cottage is under 1,000 square feet. \u201cI wish I had a slightly bigger house,\u201d she says. \u201cBut the truth is, we really live outside. We\u2019re in the garden or at the beach all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

As most locals will tell you, the appeal of Melides is less the things to do and more about the space, nature and privacy. \u201cIt\u2019s stunning, wild, windswept, brazen,\u201d Martin says. \u201cIt\u2019s not for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Insiders<\/p>\n

Marta Alvim is an artist who, with her husband, owns RockRose, a \u201ccontemporary monastic house\u201d in Melides that can be rented by visitors.<\/p>\n

Carolina Irving, a Paris-based textile and ceramics designer, has had a home in Melides for more than a decade.<\/p>\n

The British artist Jason Martin lives between London and Melides; he founded a local culture and artist residency program and is creating an outdoor cinema that will provide a showcase for up-and-coming Portuguese filmmakers.<\/p>\n

Carla Sousa, the chef of Xtian at Vermelho Melides hotel, grew up in Lisbon and has worked in France, Spain and Luxembourg.<\/p>\n

Illustrations by Richard Pedaline<\/p>\n

\u201cChristian built Vermelho Melides<\/a> hotel in the village. The building is completely new, but he made it look like it\u2019s been there since the 18th century. I was part of the team that helped him decorate, and I have to say, it\u2019s exquisite and completely unique. From about $415 a night.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuinta Amala<\/a> hotel is brand-new. It has lovely bungalows at the top of a rice field with views all the way to the ocean.\u201d From about $200 a night. \u2014 Carolina Irving<\/p>\n

\u201cCasa de Santiago<\/a> is a beautiful seven-bedroom house on a hill about 20 minutes south of Melides. It\u2019s owned by Jose Duarte Lobo de Vasconcellos, who knows everybody. He\u2019s just started up a little gallery there too. It\u2019s a fantastic place to stay.\u201d From about $1,710 a night. \u2014 Jason Martin<\/p>\n

\u201cPa.te.os<\/a> consists of four minimalist houses designed by the architect Manuel Aires Mateus. It\u2019s a good example of contemporary Alentejo architecture. It\u2019s in the middle of the Melides countryside and has an infinity pool, quiet patios and private yoga.\u201d From about $970 a night. \u2014 Carla Sousa<\/p>\n

\u201cI walk into Sal<\/a> [on Carvalhal beach, about 15 miles north of Melides] barefoot after the last swim of the day. I love the locally sourced fish, which is simply grilled over charcoal and seasoned with sea salt.\u201d \u2014Marta Alvim<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Jncquoi Beach Club<\/a> restaurant, designed by the architect Vincent Van Duysen, sits on a pristine beach. It has a great menu with cleverly reimagined local dishes. My favorite is the rice with seafood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sublime Comporta Beach Club<\/a> [near Sal] has tables on the sand, music playing and you can take a dip in the ocean between each course. It\u2019s a real beach restaurant with excellent food. I particularly love the amejoas, or local clams cooked with garlic, white wine and cilantro.<\/p>\n

\u201cVermelho Bar<\/a> [inside Vermelho Melides hotel] is wonderful, with a huge fireplace and quite beautiful d\u00e9cor. The bar itself was handmade in Seville by artisans specializing in the silver altars made for Holy Week.\u201d \u2014C.I.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re staying in Melides, Tasca do Celso<\/a> is a day trip, about an hour\u2019s drive south. But it\u2019s hands down the best restaurant in the Alentejo region. It specializes in traditional Portuguese cuisine \u2014 they\u2019re known for bife \u00e0 la plancha, a grilled sirloin steak served with rice, beans and fries.<\/p>\n

\u201cO Fadista<\/a> is a family business that\u2019s been there forever. They\u2019ll still do a prato do dia (plate of the day). You\u2019re going to have a meal for 15 bucks, and it\u2019ll all be fresh and everything will be nice. They also have an extensive traditional Portuguese menu. The grilled squid is \u2026 wow, it\u2019s perfect.<\/p>\n

\u201cTosca Melides<\/a> does a really good lasagna carbonara and osso bucco. There\u2019s a great Sicilian dorada, too, which is a sea bream braised with olives. They\u2019ve got this little alfresco dining area. In the summer, it\u2019s like, \u2018Who\u2019s over there?\u2019 It\u2019s got a little bit of a scene going on.\u201d \u2014J.M.<\/p>\n

\u201cO Melidense<\/a> is a family restaurant in the center of the village. It has a charming atmosphere and fair prices and serves traditional Alentejo cuisine: roast lamb, migas [a bread-based dish] and grilled fish.<\/p>\n

\u201cTia Rosa<\/a> is a local institution, and famous for its oven-roasted duck with giblet rice.\u201d \u2014 C.S.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo to Vida Dura<\/a> in Melides for handmade ceramics and flowers. The Portuguese floral designer Rui Freitas partnered with Christian Louboutin to create this shop, which is filled with pieces that celebrate Portuguese craftsmanship.<\/p>\n

\u201cFashion Clinic<\/a> in Carvalhal is where I go for last-minute gifts. I especially love the Trudon candles. No matter how often I try to leave with a different scent, I always end up choosing Abd El Kader, which smells like freshly picked mint.\u201d \u2014 M.A.<\/p>\n

\u201cStork Club<\/a>, in Carvalhal, is co-owned by the interior designer Jacques Grange. You can furnish your entire house in one stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cNoemina Melides<\/a> has a great selection of beach wear like pareos [wraparound skirts] and homewares, all curated by its owner, Noemi Marone Cinzano.\u201d \u2014 C.I.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the most beautiful beaches in the region, Praia da Aberta Nova has striped beach huts that remind me of my childhood holidays.<\/p>\n

\u201cCavalos na Areia is an equestrian center that offers guided horseback rides. I just love waking up early and riding for kilometers on empty sand.\u201d \u2014 M.A.<\/p>\n

\u201cPraia da Gal\u00e9 is without a doubt one of the best beaches in Europe. You have to go down [about 150 steps] to get to it. If you go farther up the beach, there\u2019s no one near you. It\u2019s incredible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe drive to Alqueva Lake Observatory<\/a>, in Monsaraz, takes two and a half hours, but there\u2019s no other landscape like it. They\u2019ve built an observatory next to the old castle that gives you the clearest view of the cosmos.\u201d \u2014 J.M.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Lagoa de Melides, a sandbar separates the lagoon from the sea, creating a mirror of fresh water that changes with the tide. Early in the morning it\u2019s just herons, wind in the canes and the reflection of the sky. You can paddle board, walk along the wooden walkway or simply stand and watch. It\u2019s the quietest Melides there is.\u201d \u2014 C.S.<\/p>\n

These interviews have been edited and condensed.<\/p>\n