Anyone who has swiped through Meghan Markle‘s summer fun family photos from Portugal might be Googling “Melides” for a closer look.
The quiet coastal village rests along the Alentejo Coast and is home to nearly 1,500 year-round residents, as of the 2021 census. Before Prince Harry and the “As Ever” founder reportedly first bought property there, Condé Nast Traveler had pegged Melides as “Portugal’s Next Big Beach Town” in 2022.
Markle’s photos of Prince Archie racing into the surf and Princess Lilibet being flipped overhead in a swimming pool by Prince Harry are sure to up the interest in what is known as Portugal’s “Blue Coast.” Located about 90 minutes from Lisbon, Melides is known for its empty beaches, rural land, vineyards and sleepy pace. Markle’s photo of the traditionally sparse O Melidense restaurant hint at the area’s laidback appeal.
Before Prince Harry and Markle reportedly bought a villa for 6.3 million pounds at the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club a few years ago, Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenia and her husband Jack Brooksbank were reportedly regulars. The California residents are said to be renovating their residence in Portugal with help from SoHo House, the private members’ club with outposts in the U.K. and other locales. George Clooney and Sharon Stone are each said to have CostaTerra properties there. The company site bills itself as a “family-friendly real estate” with such options as “dune villas, golf pine barrens, and winery cottages.” Representatives at CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club could not be reached for comment Friday.
Asked about SoHo House working with Prince Harry and Markle on their home in Portugal, a SoHo House spokesperson said, “To protect the privacy of our clients, we aren’t able to share any detail around any specific residential projects.”
A visitor enters the Vermelho hotel in Melides, which is owned by the French designer Christian Louboutin, one of the first international figures to frequent the region in southwestern Portugal.
AFP via Getty Images
Other high-profile personalities like Madonna and Amazon‘s Jeff Bezos have previously touched down in the area, which includes Comporta, Muda, Carvalhal, Grândola and Sines among other local towns. Christian Louboutin sparked some of the interest in Melides by opening the five-star Vermelho hotel with help from architects Madalena Caiado and Tarek Shamma in April 2023. The shoe designer has had a home there for years, as has the prized architect Jacques Grange.
In the summer of 2023, the five-time Grammy winner Janet Jackson shared snapshots from her Melides getaway on Instagram. “So charming — the shops, the architecture, the people — we loved it,” she posted.
Jackson also flagged one of Melides’ few shops, Vida Dura, which sells handcrafted dinnerware, vases, candlesticks and other home decor made by local artisans, as well as floral displays. Noemina is another shop that specializes in relaxed dresses and home decor with a flair for local textiles.
Although the area has been reeling in a more stylish crowd in the past few years, Kering’s chief brand officer Laurent Claquin recognized its appeal and built a home there 15 years ago. Along with the endless blue skies, fresh sea air, wind-swept dunes and relatively untouched nature, “At the end of the day, it’s the authenticity that people are looking for,” Claquin said. “You can be social and see friends going from one house to the next, or you can stay at your place and not see anyone.”
While of course the tides of change have swept through the area as more travelers have been discovering the Alentejo, Claquin said, “I would say it has changed for the best. There a few more restaurants that are delicious, one or two great hotels, a new French bakery and a gym, but it really stays true to itself.”
