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Melides, a tiny village about 80 miles south of Lisbon on Portugal’s Alentejo coast, is in the early — and, some hope, only — stages of transforming from an agricultural hamlet into a design destination. For centuries it’s 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.
The British artist Jason Martin arrived from London in 2007, looking for someplace where he could afford to be creative on a large scale. “I was thinking, well, where is the Atlantic? Where is rustic? What’s the last exotic place in Europe?” he says. “It’s right down here.” It felt, he says, like the Hamptons in the 1950s — 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 turned his attention away from nearby Comporta — which had been steadily turning into one of the country’s liveliest summer destinations — and began to buy property in Melides. The textile and ceramics designer Carolina Irving, a friend of Louboutin’s who’d 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. “We discovered this magical place on a rice field with a lagoon and a dirt path with the beach at the end,” she says.
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’s fragile ecosystem. A few years ago, Louboutin co-founded Intertidal Melides, a conservation nonprofit, with the Italian winemaker Noemi Marone Cinzano, among others.
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’s original footprint, and her cottage is under 1,000 square feet. “I wish I had a slightly bigger house,” she says. “But the truth is, we really live outside. We’re in the garden or at the beach all the time.” As most locals will tell you, the appeal of Melides is less the things to do and more about the space, nature and privacy. “It’s stunning, wild, windswept, brazen,” Martin says. “It’s not for everybody.” The Insiders
Marta Alvim is an artist who, with her husband, owns RockRose, a “contemporary monastic house” in Melides that can be rented by visitors. Carolina Irving, a Paris-based textile and ceramics designer, has had a home in Melides for more than a decade. 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. Carla Sousa, the chef of Xtian at Vermelho Melides hotel, grew up in Lisbon and has worked in France, Spain and Luxembourg. Sleep
“Christian built Vermelho Melides hotel in the village. The building is completely new, but he made it look like it’s been there since the 18th century. I was part of the team that helped him decorate, and I have to say, it’s exquisite and completely unique. From about $415 a night. “Quinta Amala hotel is brand-new. It has lovely bungalows at the top of a rice field with views all the way to the ocean.” From about $200 a night. — Carolina Irving “Casa de Santiago is a beautiful seven-bedroom house on a hill about 20 minutes south of Melides. It’s owned by Jose Duarte Lobo de Vasconcellos, who knows everybody. He’s just started up a little gallery there too. It’s a fantastic place to stay.” From about $1,710 a night. — Jason Martin “Pa.te.os consists of four minimalist houses designed by the architect Manuel Aires Mateus. It’s a good example of contemporary Alentejo architecture. It’s in the middle of the Melides countryside and has an infinity pool, quiet patios and private yoga.” From about $970 a night. — Carla Sousa Eat and Drink
“I walk into Sal [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.” —Marta Alvim “The Jncquoi Beach Club 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. “The Sublime Comporta Beach Club [near Sal] has tables on the sand, music playing and you can take a dip in the ocean between each course. It’s a real beach restaurant with excellent food. I particularly love the amejoas, or local clams cooked with garlic, white wine and cilantro. “Vermelho Bar [inside Vermelho Melides hotel] is wonderful, with a huge fireplace and quite beautiful décor. The bar itself was handmade in Seville by artisans specializing in the silver altars made for Holy Week.” —C.I. “If you’re staying in Melides, Tasca do Celso is a day trip, about an hour’s drive south. But it’s hands down the best restaurant in the Alentejo region. It specializes in traditional Portuguese cuisine — they’re known for bife à la plancha, a grilled sirloin steak served with rice, beans and fries. “O Fadista is a family business that’s been there forever. They’ll still do a prato do dia (plate of the day). You’re going to have a meal for 15 bucks, and it’ll all be fresh and everything will be nice. They also have an extensive traditional Portuguese menu. The grilled squid is … wow, it’s perfect. “Tosca Melides does a really good lasagna carbonara and osso bucco. There’s a great Sicilian dorada, too, which is a sea bream braised with olives. They’ve got this little alfresco dining area. In the summer, it’s like, ‘Who’s over there?’ It’s got a little bit of a scene going on.” —J.M. “O Melidense 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. “Tia Rosa is a local institution, and famous for its oven-roasted duck with giblet rice.” — C.S. Shop
“Go to Vida Dura 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. “Fashion Clinic 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.” — M.A. “Stork Club, in Carvalhal, is co-owned by the interior designer Jacques Grange. You can furnish your entire house in one stop. Explore
“One of the most beautiful beaches in the region, Praia da Aberta Nova has striped beach huts that remind me of my childhood holidays. “Cavalos na Areia is an equestrian center that offers guided horseback rides. I just love waking up early and riding for kilometers on empty sand.” — M.A. “Praia da Galé 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’s no one near you. It’s incredible. “The drive to Alqueva Lake Observatory, in Monsaraz, takes two and a half hours, but there’s no other landscape like it. They’ve built an observatory next to the old castle that gives you the clearest view of the cosmos.” — J.M. “At 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’s 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’s the quietest Melides there is.” — C.S. These interviews have been edited and condensed. Read past editions of Flocking To here. Click here for a map of the locations mentioned above.
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