What to do in Comporta: our 7 favourite activities

An hour from Lisbon, on the Tróia peninsula, Comporta is a charming fishing village nestling between the Sado estuary and the Atlantic. What to do, what to see, what to visit in Comporta? Cast off and follow the guide!

This small, peaceful and discreet village, one of Portugal's most popular, offers visitors a heavenly setting. Surrounded by rice fields, pine forests and dunes, it's the ideal place for a break in the heart of nature. Forget the Algarve and its crowded beaches and look west towards Comporta. Here, nature has retained all its rights.

1. Enjoy the beaches of Comporta

The white sandy beaches are one of the highlights of this Portuguese seaside resort. There are three bathing beaches in this part of the coastline: Comporta beach, Carvalhal beach and Pego beach. All have been awarded the "Quality", "Blue Flag" and "Accessible Beach" labels for people with reduced mobility. In summer, the beaches are supervised and child-friendly. As well as swimming, you can surf, kitesurf, go horse-riding or simply relax on a deckchair.

2. Take a boat trip to see the Sado dolphins

Boat trips are available from Comporta, particularly in Setúbal Bay, one of the most beautiful bays in the world. The Sado Estuary nature reserve is home to one of the few sedentary dolphin communities in the world. Several service providers offer sea trips in Comporta, in groups or on private tours.

3. Visit the Roman ruins of Tróia

Visit the Roman ruins of Tróia, just a few minutes from the town centre, and discover the largest fish curing production centre in the Roman Empire, with its houses, thermal baths, cemetery and early Christian basilica. The site has been listed as a "Monumento Nacional" since 1910. Guided tours, archaeological exhibitions and themed events are offered throughout the year.

4. Cycle through the rice fields

The rice fields are at the heart of Comporta's life and history. The rice fields are now protected and form part of the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve. Here you can walk, cycle or ride horseback through the unspoilt fauna and flora, including a remarkable diversity of birds. At the entrance to the village, in a former rice-husking factory dating from 1952, the Rice Museum (museu do Arroz) provides a better understanding of the importance of this cereal in the history of Herdade da Comporta.

5. Take a photo of the pier at Palafítico de Carrasqueira

Located in Carrasqueira, just a stone's throw from Comporta, this stilted harbour is unique in Europe. Considered a "masterpiece of popular architecture", it serves as an anchorage for the region's fishing boats. The place looks abandoned, and the little huts seem on the verge of collapsing, but this is only an illusion. Depending on the tides, the boats float on the water or get stuck in the mud, but the fishermen always have access to their boats.

6. Shopping in the narrow streets of Comporta

At the end of the afternoon, take a stroll through the narrow streets of Comporta for a spot of shopping. Always bustling, Comporta is home to some pretty designer boutiques: hand-woven caftans, summer dresses, linen shirts, beach bags made from rabane, sandals made from Portuguese leather and cork, not forgetting the ceramics for which Comporta is famous.

7. Watch the storks, Comporta's emblem

The Sado nature reserve is home to over 200 species of bird, including white storks, a local attraction in Comporta. Spring and summer are the best times to see the storks in Comporta. They nest high up on roofs, chimneys and church steeples. The village has even built nesting boxes for them.