You’ve heard plenty of Comporta — dubbed Portugal ’s answer to the Hamptons — but just beyond the fringe of town, there’s a buzz about Carvalhal that’s only going to grow louder. Why? Because unlike its flash sister, there’s a quiet charm about it thanks to its position between some of Setubal’s most pristine beaches and proximity to the lesser known forest areas. Then there’s the fact that it might be about to be put on the map by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as the pair are said to have purchased a property in a ‘sleepy village’ in Portugal.
Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, and her husband, Jack Brooksbank already own in the area, with a home in the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club which is in Melides, south of Lisbon and just 20 minutes from Carvalhal. Here’s how to do the area in a weekend. Twenty years ago, Brejos de Carregueira was virtually unrecognisable.
Locals described it as having the spirit of St Tropez (which explains why it was a magnet for soigne French families and Casiraghi matriarchs). Small New England style cabanas were the norm, with no heating, running water and sand carpeting the living rooms. Not anymore.
Thanks to the boom in development in Comporta and beyond, Brejos now boasts some of the finest private villas that riff on the barefoot luxury style, but thankfully with the bells and whistles a modern family need. We stayed at Casa Salvagem - a clever property which was perfect for two families sharing thanks to its symme.