A Sublime Tour through Comporta

Regardless of the weather, Comporta is always a great destination option in Portugal. But not everything is diving. From grilled fresh fish to clams à Bulhão Pato, through the wonderful hotels, beaches and rice fields, don't set off to discover Comporta without consulting this tasty guide of the area. For a good start to the day, for a snack after the beach, or for a more sophisticated experience, these are places not to be missed in Comporta. The extra? A one-day guide, made in partnership with Sublime Comporta, and a must-try recipe by the chef, Tiago Maio.

A day in Comporta

9:00 am - Waking up in the Sublime Hotel Comporta in one of the famous and unique Biopools is an indescribable sensation. The beauty of nature and the calm and serenity that flood the spirit are immense. We take a dip in the biological pool and feel ready to face, or rather enjoy, a unique day. We hear the frogs, and the wind blowing through the branches of the trees that seem to be the true protagonists of the Sublime Comporta. The feeling here is that time seems suspended and where we can experience everything that is still genuine and authentically Alentejo.

9h30 - We arrive at Sem Porta for breakfast with freshly baked bread, eggs benedict that open spreading its yellow yolk color just like the Comporta sun. The healthy options are numerous, to enjoy an elevated breakfast, to the Sublime level! Everything seems to have life and our senses are awakened by this feeling of symbiosis with nature.

11:00am - Cavalos na Areia (Horses in the Sand) - To connect with the natural surroundings of Comporta we will go for a ride through the rice paddies, dunes, and coast. An unforgettable and unique experience along the Alentejo coast. The project Cavalos na Areia was founded by José Ribeira in Comporta in 2011. The school and the ride started with only 12 horses. Today, due to the success and growth of tourism in the region, they have expanded their equestrian offer.

14h00 - Lunch at the Sublime Comporta Beach Club. With a direct view to the blue sea, this space is perfect both for lunch and for a unique sunset at dinner (another day certainly). Located on Carvalhal Beach, it is a mix between a refined atmosphere and the boho chic of Comporta. We order several starters to share, because, yes, we want to taste a bit of everything. Quickly (or are we the ones who looking at the sea don't even feel the time passing), the couvert arrives at the table, bread, butter, tomato paste and olives. We also asked for the famous Sublime olive oil, because in the Alentejo bread and olive oil are the perfect match.

The meal follows with some fresh oysters au naturel, a tuna, mango and soy tataki, and some prawns à l'ajillo... All this accompanied by the beautiful white wine Sublime. And in the background the waves of the sea are still breaking on the sand, the perfect soundtrack for this moment. We decide to continue with the best the coast has to offer and order some Carabineiros and the Fish of the Day, which always varies with what was caught at dawn by the fishermen in the area. Full, but not wanting to leave, we order a dessert. The list is vast and everything seems irresistible… but it was the Salted Caramel Tart that won, the perfect end to this meal, accompanied by Sublime Muscat (Portuguese Moscatel).

16h00 - Back at the Sublime Comporta for 60-minute session with a tennis teacher. The teacher guides us through the basics of tennis, ending our experience with a game. Next, The Sublime Spa is calling us.

18h00 - Spa session and a Sublime Massage. After the tennis session, nothing like a restful massage, created and adapted to our needs. Together with our Therapist we had the option of:
- Choosing the most suitable Signature Oil (made with the herbs from our organic garden)
- Selecting the different massage techniques
- Choosing the type of intensity
- Determining the main areas to focus on during the treatment in order to obtain the greatest wellbeing benefits.
A totally revitalizing experience, restoring balance in 60 minutes of paradise!

20h30 - Dinner at the Food Circle - Gastronomy without filter! In the center of Sublime Comporta's garden is the Food Circle, a reserved and exclusive space where innovative dishes are created that highlight the flavor of the ingredients from the organic garden.

We start the experience with a brief explanation of what we can find in the organic garden, still with the sun rays passing through the branches of the cork trees that surround us and make the atmosphere of the end of the day magical. We are invited to taste a cocktail inspired by the garden and its fragrant herbs. As we enter the Food Circle, nature embraces us. The Chef begins by presenting the concept of what awaits us: a tasting menu with several moments, each accompanied by a wine pairing selected by the Sommelier who observes us with some curiosity. More than a gastronomic experience this will be a social experience. 12 people around a round a counter where we can all look at each other and chat with our next door neighbors.

Different nationalities create a buzz that nearly overpowers the ambient music, only interrupted by the explanations of the Chef and Sommelier at each moment of the experience. Here the menu changes depending on the season, and on the ingredients that are picked from the garden, or from local producers, in order to create the true Farm-to-table experience.

The only constant is the Ofyr in the middle of the circle, in which the fire cheerfully crackles and transforms the room, bringing all the creations of the evening to life. Yes the fire shapes every moment, for a sensory and almost primitive experience in the way of creating unexpected dishes. All ingredients are placed in the Ofyr, and the room is filled with incredible aromas. The selection of top wines is the culmination of this evening!

And so we ended the day, which passed quickly and, at the same time, we can admit to having been the most relaxing day we had in our lives, at the quiet and enchanting pace of Comporta.

Sole, Lemon White Asparagus: a recipe developed by Tiago Maio, Chef at Sublime Comporta

GRILLED SOLE PORTION, SUBLIME GARDEN SPINACH PUREE, WHITE ASPARAGUS AND LEMON PUREE

Ingredients

SOLE (TRANCHE) 0,150 KG
WHITE ASPARAGUS 0,100 KG
SPINACH (LEAF) 0,600 KG
SALT FLOWER Q.B

LEMON PUREE
LEMON 10
WHITE SUGAR
WATER 4 L

BOUQUET OF HERBS
CORIANDER SPROUTS Q.B
FENNEL SPROUTS Q.B
ALYSIUM FLOWER Q.B
CAPSICUM FLOWER Q.B

COOKING METHOD

Clean and wash the sole, dry thoroughly, then remove the fillets from each side of the sole. Set aside.

Lemon Purée
Peel 10 lemons and use juice from 5 lemons. Separate the water into 4 pans of 1 L each.

Bring the zest and strain through a colander. Drain well. With the juice, make a syrup with 1/4 of the weight of the juice in white sugar. Place the zest previously brought into the glass of the thermomix, add a little lemon juice and mix on high speed, adding the syrup little by little until add the syrup little by little until you reach the desired point. If desired add a dash of olive oil to help emulsify and make the puree a little smoother. To finish, pass the purée through a fine sieve the purée through a fine sieve and pack it properly.

Spinach Purée

Bring the spinach leaves to a boil in water seasoned with salt. After the spinach leaves have been brought to the boil, remove and place in ice water to cool and not lose their color. Drain very well to remove the excess water and grind it with a little olive oil and add some fish stock to give it the desired to give it the desired texture. Adjust the seasoning.

Peel the white asparagus, removing also some slices that will then be seasoned with a little vinaigrette and dished, bring the asparagus to the flounder fumet and the sole and cool them in the water and ice bath.

To finish, grill the flounder until it is done, another suggestion is to steam the fish with seaweed steam the fish with seaweed, grill the whole asparagus, and heat up the spinach puree, don't let it get too hot, so it doesn't lose its color.

Place the spinach puree at the base of the dish, top with the sole, white asparagus and its seasoned slices around the fish, and about six dots of lemon puree around it as well. On top of the fish, put some fleur de sel and a drizzle of olive oil and arrange the bouquet of herbs and flowers.

There is much about Comporta that is undiscovered, and we are here to help you unlock all the secrets of this idyllic region. To enjoy this wonderful one-day tour, talk to us.