Areias do Seixo Charm Hotel & Residences

Some high-end hotels make a point of being fine places to be alone. Areias do Seixo, on the other hand, is the kind of place that hosts a nightly communal bonfire on its wild — and wildly pretty — stretch of coast to the north of Lisbon. It’s not exactly a free-for-all, however — for although the wine does flow freely, given the vast expanse of farmland and ocean and dunes that’s shared by just thirteen rooms, it’s a comfortable, low-key affair, about as private a social gathering as one can have in the company of strangers.

Anyway, you can always skip the bonfire in favor of a fireside glass of wine in your own room. All the accommodations come with rustic fireplaces or wood stoves, not to mention stacks of wood large enough to last a longer, colder winter than these parts have seen in a few hundred years. Maybe they’re worried if you run out, you’ll start burning the furniture, for though the rooms are exceedingly comfortable, they do look a bit like an outgrowth of the landscape. Gnarled, salt-bleached tree limbs form support beams or bedposts; polished concrete and stone abounds; large windows or towering glass walls bring the outdoors in; and to really drive home the point, the main building even has a garden of native plants covering its roof.

That rooftop garden, in fact, is the first of many hints that these hoteliers have some seriously green thumbs. The hotel’s organic farm and greenhouse supplies many of the ingredients for the excellent restaurant. The Atlantic supplies some of the others, like mussels that guests can gather with the staff on a foraging excursion, or fresh pole-caught fish. There’s a range of staff-led and self-guided activities to learn about where everything on the dinner table comes from, and whether you really care or not about the provenance of your soup, the walks and bike-rides around the property are enjoyable for the atmosphere alone, all fresh ocean air and unspoiled coast.

Please note: Areias do Seixo Charm Hotel & Residences is a small property with only 14 rooms. Book early as rooms sell out quick. While rooms do not have air-conditioning units, temperature is regulated via passive, geothermal, in-floor climate control. Fans are also available at reception.

How to get there: The hotel is located 40 miles, about a 50-minute drive, from Lisbon’s Portela Airport.