When João Rodrigues and his family stumbled upon a set of crumbling fisherman’s huts, they thought to themselves, ‘Well why don’t we turn these into a place to stay?’ So they did. Facing the Sado River and Comporta’s dancing rice fields, the two wooden shacks have been carefully converted by their friend and architect Manuel Aires Mateus into a minimalist slow-living hideaway an hour south of Lisbon. It’s quiet, with the ethos focussed on silence rather than noise. Equally, the design and craft aimed to blend into Portugal’s landscape rather than disrupt it. Couples or small families come to spend time in nature: sandy feet, outdoor showers, and breakfast by the water. It’s back to basics.