Travel with the Twins to Portugal
In Lisbon:
Try to get a coveted seat at the tiny and delicious Taberna da Rua das Flores. We ordered and loved everything on the menu.
Any guidebook will tell you (and it's true!) that A Vida Portuguesa really is the best shop for all-the-handmade-souvenirs-you-can-fit-in-your-suitcase.
Love shopping small for the best handmade things like we do? Then check out:
Fabrica Sant'Anna for the handmade tiles; Paris em Lisboa for the chicest cotton bedding, towels, linens; and Fabricante de Velas for beautiful and old (the shop opened in 1789) candles.
Oh and don't forget the brothers, boyfriends, sons, guys in your life. Our husbands are obsessed with the Portuguese menswear brand La Paz and one of their flagship stores is in Lisbon.
In & Around Comporta:
Kathryn got married at Sublime Comporta in 2017 and since then the property has grown to include 22 standalone villas (with plunge-pools!), multiple restaurants, an organic garden, and a beach bar. Yet it still feels like the perfect balance of laidback luxury.
Do not miss Restaurant Sal at Carvalhal Beach for Vino Verde and fresh seafood, Gomes in Comporta town, and Comporta Cafe for the beach party lunch vibes, and Dona Bia to feel like and eat like a local.
There is plenty of shopping in the small town of Comporta but head to the neighboring town of Melides to Vida Dura for incredible handmade ceramics (they ship!) and our favorite Lisa Corti sarongs at Neomina Melides.
While in Melides, check out Christian Louboutin's just opened hotel Vermelho Melides.
Alentejo Region:
I love this dusty, cork-tree filled region for it's expansive views and rustic elegance. Two favorite spots are:
Kathryn and Nick mini-mooed at São Lourenço do Barrocal and loved it so much that they sent Peter, Ruby, and me to check it out a few summers later. It is design-inspiration-magic and the most relaxing and restful, yet gorgeous farm estate.
Shop for: Artisanal handmade wool rugs. I discovered these while staying at Barrocal, one of the oldest mills is just a few minutes away and you can watch (and shop) wool pieces being made on old wooden looms - it's extraordinary and certainly gives you a new appreciation for these geometric floor and bed coverings. Fun fact: wool rugs were originally used by shepherds in Portugal during cold weather seasons but are perfect for your floor given their sturdy construction.
Villa Extramuros I stayed here in 2016. Extramuros is the brainchild of two Parisians who relocated to the area after 20 years in Paris to create “a contemporary villa, decorated with furniture and art from the 1950’s until today, and with a Parisian twist." Need I say more?
South to the Algarve:
People often associate the Algarve with "sunburnt European tourists crowding the beaches of Lagos" (or at least I did) but there are so many well-kept, low-key and high design secrets in the southernmost region of Portugal.
Casa Mãe: We love this white-washed property with the most charming rooms, stunning courtyard, amazing food, and truly loveliest service and people ever.
And en route to the Algarve, I cannot wait to explore more of the wild Costa Vicentina - stand by for more recommendations!
