TRAVEL With their own private pools, the two-bedroom Cabana Villas are truly Sublime HaNG comporta, PORTUGAL TeN WANT A HOLIDAY WITH SERIOUS SURF CLOUT? used by the fishermen to cross the Sado estuary’s low-tide mud, and sunsets here are an Instagram must. ust an hour south of Lisbon, A 20-minute drive south will Comporta is one of seven little bring you to the beautiful Praia jvillages in a beautiful area of do Carvalhal, where the strong cork and pine trees, impossibly green rustic heaven. The drive from Lisbon is waves are perfect for surfing rice paddies and 12km of empty white a 130km trip across the magnificent the Atlantic. Surf In Comporta beach. With quiet streets and a few Vasco da Gama Bridge, through runs 90-minute lessons for whitewashed houses, the sleepy town the forests, until you spot Sublime all ages (surfincomporta.com). sits at the base of the Tróia Peninsula, Comporta’s unassuming entrance: just Afterwards, take respite at the a finger of land stretching north between a wooden door with a handwritten beach bar and restaurant the Atlantic Ocean and the Sado River sign. Inside, you’ll find 23 rooms and O Dinis for freshly caught estuary on Portugal’s west coast. Come suites (filled with white and natural seafood grilled only with salt, summer, this quiet rice-farming region wood) spread across the main and chilled Super Bock lager. transforms into a chic coastal building and guest house, plus 22 two- While Comporta has been hideaway, as fashionable Lisbonites to five-bedroom cabanas, the design compared to all the usual join a wealthy boho set. Madonna, of which was inspired by the area’s hippie-chic destinations – Ibiza Christian Louboutin and Emanuel traditional farmer and fisherman houses. and Formentera in Spain, Búzios Ungaro’s muse Bethy Lagardère have Chef Tiago Santos heads up the in Brazil, early Punta del Este in all come for the low-key vibe. hotel’s restaurants: Tasca Da Comporta, Uruguay and even ’60s-era St Tropez COLLAGE by How anywhere with beaches this Sem Porta and Food Circle. The latter on the French Riviera — none of those GUS & STELLA good has managed to ward off the is a 12-seater circular space in the really nails it. But is it the coolest beach tourist crowds is a miracle, although garden, where food is cooked over retreat in Europe? We think so. strict planning laws mean the big a central fire. Menus are mostly sublimecomporta.pt > developers have been kept away. Our organic and locally sourced, and pick for accommodation is Sublime for a special treat, you can request Comporta, a 17-hectare slice of stylish, a romantic picnic on a deserted beach. Drive a few kilometres north and you’ll find Carrasqueira, a “port” on stilts, which fashion folk will recognise from Christian Louboutin’s SS13 campaign. The network of wooden walkways stretching over the water is A focus on sustainability means the hotel’s LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THESE SUPER-STYLISH BOLTHOLES buildings complement the landscape BY SOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST BREAKS 148 ELLE Summer Special 2020 149 TRAVEL “THE HOTEL HAS AN IMPRESSIVE LIBRARY OF BOARDS and WILL EVEN DROP YOU LUNCH santa monica, USA IF you’re OUT MAKING THE MOST of THE SURF” malibu, USA s you sink into a linen couch in one of the common anta Monica has long been the areas of Malibu’s beloved go-to spot for those who want Surfrider,a it’s easy to forget that you’re the feel of a Los Angeles city in a 20-room hotel and not a beach An ideal point break means there’s break,s but by the sea and with less time The beach (and Santa Monica Pier) house you’ve been lucky enough to always a wave to be found, and as wasted in traffic. Local architect firm is just a few blocks from the hotel, but call yours for the weekend. Australian such, the area caters to both learners Howard Laks and interior design the best surf spot is a short drive away Emma Crowther Goodwin and her and seasoned pros. The hotel has an extraordinaire Kelly Wearstler took that at Breakwater in Venice. It might not be husband, Malibu-born architect impressive library of boards by local ethos and turned it up to 11, transforming a world-class wave, but it’s a good Matthew Goodwin, along with their shaper Wax Surf Co on hand to the ’20s-era Santa Monica option while in the city. Proper will even business partner and friend Alessandro borrow, and will even drop you lunch if Professional Building into the loan you a surfboard or paddleboard. Zampedri purchased the iconic you’re out making the most of the surf. super-stylish Santa Monica Or you can call on the hotel’s surf building a few years back, and pulled There are also Mini Coopers available Proper Hotel. Across the instructor, who will take you half an off a genius conversion that now sees to take for a spin for those wanting to building’s two wings and 271 hour up the coast to Zuma Beach and the hotel regularly fully booked. venture further afield. guest rooms, Wearstler has Point Dume to brush up on your skills or Because the trio retained the size Inside, the hotel feels fresh, light expertly woven her signature take on a more challenging wave. and charm of the original ’50s motel, and without pretence. There’s an aesthetic and penchant for LA is a good place to double down The light-filled hotel has Surfrider feels lo-fi and cosy. You’re unmistakable dedication to a neutral mismatched, one-off pieces with on wholesome intentions, and Proper’s been designed to make likely to make fast friends with the staff palette of muted wood, off-white and the Spanish-revival and Moorish dining options are no exception. Lobby the most of Santa Monica’s ocean breezes and fellow guests and discover some stone grey, with four-poster wooden elements of the original building. eatery Palma offers a healthy breakfast, excellent surf tips. The location here is cubed beds in the rooms and rugs With interiors this considered, it while Onda, a collab between Jessica paramount: the Surfrider sits on the underfoot. Spring for the Surfrider feels almost counterintuitive to Koslow (of LA’s buzzy Sqirl) and Pacific Coast Highway (aka Highway Suite and you’ll find a sunset-facing tear yourself away from the Gabriela Cámara (of Contramar in The laid-back One, iconic Californian road trip hammock strung up on the terrace. The hotel pays tribute Proper’s halls (or rooftop, where Mexico City and San Francisco’s Cala), fodder), directly opposite the Malibu guest-only rooftop is the real calling to Californian you’ll find a pool with panoramic has a seafood focus. Then there’s the surf culture Pier and the hotel’s namesake beach. card here. With a fire pit, unbeatable views and a bar to hang by) to in-house spa, Surya, run by Martha view and a ready supply of cocktails, explore the neighbourhood. Soffer — the Ayurvedic expert, chef and it’s sure to make for one of the best herbalist whose know-how Gwyneth sundowners you’ll have in your life. Paltrow regularly calls upon. The four- thesurfridermalibu.com handed Abhyanga oil massage is a highlight (Gwyneth would approve). properhotel.com > 150 151 TRAVEL The surf in Bali is hard to beat – but this view of the Indian Ocean uluwatu, INDONESIA comes close *** SLOW bruny island, AUSTRALIA RIDER AN AVID SURFER, THE SLOW’S CISCO TSCHURTSCHENTHALER SHARES HER GO-TO SPOTS IN AND AROUND THE BALINESE VILLAGE ot only is Tasmania home to OF CANGGU Shipstern Bluff, one of the country’s heaviest waves, but t’s been a long time since Bali OLD MAN’S nit’s also a magnet for those who are was an undiscovered gem, so “This is a super-fun beginner seeking a more under-the-radar surf much so that it’s not a stretch to wave in the heart of spot. A short trip from Hobart by ferry, iassume you’ll bump into a school friend Canggu. It gets crowded, Bruny Island is a charming location with The rustic retreat offers over a cold-pressed juice while you’re international surf buffs: the waves here but the motto is ‘wave the bonus of some pretty consistent cosy interiors and there. But its saturation-point popularity are some of the best in the world. sharing’. When I go out, waves, especially off its east and stunning water views has also resulted in some seriously If you’ve got a gang together, make I always bump into some south coasts. Located about halfway cool openings in recent years. There’s a beeline for Uluwatu Surf Villas resort. friends, so it’s quite social. down the island in the seaside The Slow, a hotel and restaurant in There are currently 14 villas, with three Old Man’s is great for township of Alonnah, overlooking Canggu by former Ksubi designers more opening in April 2020. Three key longboards, too.” Sheepwash Bay, is The Shack, a rustic and founders Gareth Moody, George architects had a hand in the mid-century MEDEWI off-the-grid cabin for two built from Gorrow and Gorrow’s wife, Cisco modern feel of these villas: Tim Russo “This is my all-time favourite reclaimed timber, with access to Tschurtschenthaler, and Potato Head’s (the founder of the property), Alexis wave.