Nestled between ocean waves and a wild nature reserve, on a concealed portion of the Portuguese Atlântico coastline just beyond Comporta, you’ll find Na Praia.
It’s a vision over a decade in the making – a hotel born from crisp ocean breezes, delicate sand dunes, and a way of life formed over centuries.
We are honouring the opportunity of working in an untouched dune of immense beauty.
Na Praia is a hotel perfectly in tune with its home. One that doesn’t impede on its habitat – the quiet of the dunes, the rich scents of juniper and thyme, the natural ecosystem full of hidden life – but treats it with respect.
The seed was planted when José António Uva, a Portuguese native, returned home in 2002 to breathe new life into his family’s eighth-generation estate. This regeneration project became the inspiration and impetus behind Estúdio Lisboa: a full-service project developer with a focus on heritage hospitality.
In 2011, upon discovering a stretch of raw coastal beauty near rural Comporta, Uva's dream germinated, and its concept took root: to pay tribute to the area's three diverse ecosystems – ocean, dunes, and river – with a place of quiet luxury.
Visionary architects Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty of Paris-based Studio KO took the lead on the architectural design. Renowned for their refined aesthetics, shaped and nourished by the spirit of natural landscapes, they listened to the dunes. They learned what it needed to grow – including only what was essential, ensuring room for experience. They nurtured a deep reverence for the land and local materials, as well as for authentic artisans, for both the dream and the details.
The landscaping fell under the guardianship of Athens-based Doxiadis+ – pioneers in the design of symbiotic, sustainable spaces under the tutelage of Thomas Doxiadis. Through the lens of interdependence – exploring the intricate balance of living things – they were directed solely by what was already there. Then set about to connect and to commune: land and life, people and place.
This is the story of the dream – and the team – behind this beguilingly beautiful creation. A collaboration of thoughtful custodians. Inspired by the powerful ocean, the shifting dunes, and the meandering river.