Our Eco Hotel Guide To Quinta da Comporta, Portugal

“I have had several friends tell me how much Portugal is prioritizing sustainability when it comes to all aspects of the country, and my stay at Quinta da Comporta really brought these sort of efforts to life. The hotel’s use of the sun is the first thing I noticed – with solar panels on the roof that are used to power most of their energy. Little things followed that were so impressed with – reusable water bottles, a local wine list, huge organic gardens on property.

This is a hotel that understands that human health is intrinsic to environmental health and I love that so much. Below are some of the highlights I learned about during my trip of the hotel’s commitment to their ethical approach to tourism.”

Cora Hilts

Design

The eco conscience of the Resort prolongs itself into the use of locally sourced materials and artifacts that artisans continue to craft genuinely. “Bunho” and “vime”, rattan décor details, handcrafted wooden furniture, traditional ceramics and tableware from Caldas da Rainha city and other carefully chosen pieces are an integral part. Miguel Câncio Martins designed Quinta da Comporta to be a place where authenticity and simplicity is considered a luxury that remains timeless.

From traditional architectural lines to all décor details, everything at Quinta da Comporta was thought of to be a genuine translation of the local way of living, and at the same time provide a deeper connection to the neighbouring natural reserve for a real journey inwards. Inspired by the beauty of the surrounding environment, an open and connected to nature concept privileges every room and all outlets with breath taking views. The neutral palette of tones is set by the use of salvaged natural materials of the area, such as wood, wicker, glass and stone with décor motifs designed by local artisans that colour in each space with authenticity.

Solar Panels

You cannot miss the huge roof full of solar panels on the main buildings. The hotel’s water is heated by the sun through our thermal solar panels and by pumps that receive energy from the photovoltaic panels. The use of over 600m2 of solar panels creates sustainable electricity for the entire hotel. The temperature variation follows the rhythm of daily light and the seasons of the year. They also avoid the consumption of fossil fuels through our electric fleets within and outside the resort. They have electric buggies, tuk-tuks, and vans for the transportation of our guests and staff so the whole hotel feels very quiet and free of pollutants.

Organic Vegetable Gardens

To the left of the restaurant you will find the most beautiful beds of vegetables and flowers that you are encouraged to explore and engage with. By creating the vegetable garden and making their food menu seasonal, they allow their garden to provide most of the vegetables and herbs you will find in the restaurant’s dishes and drinks. This way they reduce the impact of transporting ingredients to the hotel. All the rest their food and ingredients are sourced locally (mostly from Alentejo region) and the freshness is evident in every bite!

Spa

The spa is one of the most stunning spas I have ever been to, and my facial one of the best I have ever had. Because they believe that real indulgence comes from reconnecting through nature to ourselves, by nurturing our mind, body and spirit in a peaceful environment, ORYZA SPA’s barn-like structure was rebuilt using 100-year-old reclaimed wood, with organic elements such as stone, bamboo, metal and other natural materials to furnish its interior. On top of all of this, the hotel recycles their water for the spa – the warm water that is not consumed in the hotel is reused to heat the pool of the Spa. 

I would highly recommend their line of organic beauty products as well in case you aren’t able to make it all the way to Coimporta! ORYZA LAB pays tribute to a precious resource of Comporta and a unique element of Quinta da Comporta’s story – Rice. Inspired by ORYZA SPA’s lush green environment and Comporta’s surrounding rice plantation ORYZA LAB – an exclusive scientific skincare brand that uses rice as the core element of its expert formulas – came to life. Find them here: https://en.oryzalab.com

Reducing Energy and Waste

The restaurant’s unused water is recycled and used for irrigation of the gardens. They also cut back on any sort of toxic usage in controlling the mosquitos with cutting edge methods that preserve their ecosystem and Comporta’s natural beauty. Bed linens and towels are replaced every three days and washed during the day to make use of the heated water and energy produced by the hotel’s solar panels.

Also this is very much a plastic free hotel. They encourage guests to reuse their water bottles. For this purpose, we have four water stations distributed throughout the hotel which guests can use to refill your bottle: reception, entrance, restaurant, and gym.

Conclusion

Portugal is an amazingly beautiful country and there is so much opportunity to take advantage of the sunshine, ability to grow year-round and land to be cultivated responsibly. Things like regenerative farming, solar panels and local production can really flourish here and it’s incredible to see a hotel embracing that. If you are visiting anytime soon, we can’t recommend visiting Quinta da Comporta enough, and if you are flying into Lisbon do see our sustainable city guide to Lisbon HERE.

What To Wear at Quinta da Comporta:

Dal the Label! This line is our co-founder Cora Hilts’ go to for sustainable fashion that is versatile and easy to style in the warm weather. Her top picks are the bodysuit in black and terra cotta and slip dress.