Redefining off-the-beaten-track tourism with Calmcations and wine
Our buildings are finished, the power and water systems are being tested and tweaked by the occasional Atlantic storm, and as we move jobs from builders to hoteliers, I’ve been doing some deep dives into the tourism business.
Creating a 20+ capacity eco-luxe lodge completely off the power and water grids was always going to be a challenge and now we’re learning how to monitor it all and keep it running through the winter. So far, so good!
Building bigger and well-equipped apartments was part of the plan to extend the season well beyond the summer to encourage longer stays and maybe even the occasional digital nomad.
And it seems like we’re on the right track if the tourism predictions for 2025 are to be believed.
Visitors are arriving earlier in the year and keep coming well into winter, many are now swapping city crowds for the countryside and “hidden gems” are creating new local tourism economies.
I’ve summarised my plunge into the research on Bleisure, Calmcations, PTO hacking and a “new dawn for oenotourism” as we try to find our place in the market.
And I’m happy to report we seem to be on the right lines.
- I got most excited about the BBC’s “Seven travel trends that will shape 2025” article which listed Noctourism, Calmcations and “Off-the-beaten-track goes mainstream” at numbers one, two and five, respectively.
- In terms of tourism for nighttime, our skies are really dark and usually clear. We called our place “The Valley of the Stars” after the first night in our new home when we saw the Milky Way soaring across the sky above us. We’re a bit too far south for the northern lights, despite this coming year’s peak of solar activity, but I’ll be working on my astronomy knowledge over the winter months for another string to the storytelling bow.
- Calmcations “focused on creating a sense of tranquillity” are very much our bag, and I can understand why, after reading this WHO noise report quoted in the article revealed that 20% of Europeans live in unhealthily noisy places. The quiet calm in our valley is something our friends always love – relaxing time to take in the nature – a silence only interrupted by frogs, owls, the eagle that lives over the hill and occasionally the extended playlist of the Nightingale. With yoga and massage to suit some visitors and wine tastings to calm others, this style of tourism is front and centre of what we’ll be doing at Vale das Estrelas through little retreats based around painting, pottery, wine, writing and hiking … that kind of thing.
- As for “Off-the-beaten-track goes mainstream” I’m happy to report our off-grid track is firmly in the un-beaten category and our area is home to the last wild coast in Europe. We face the hills and valleys, but there’s an endless supply of rugged wild beaches and coves to explore just 15 minutes away.
- According to the Portugal Resident, there are More Brits heading to Portugal and why wouldn’t they? The UK was the largest source of flights to and from Portugal from January to November last year and the number of British travellers increased more than any other nation. Quoting a Statistics Portugal report, the article explained that more people overall are heading to Portugal. It was apparently a record year for visitors, and November 2024 saw a 6.2% increase in passenger numbers year on year. Research Nester’s Global Tourism Industry Market Overview reports Ryanair will have 5.2 million affordable seats to Portugal available as part of its summer 2025 schedule.
- And even more are coming – the IPDT Tourism Barometer predicts 33 million tourists will visit Portugal this year – up from 30 million in 2023 (the last year with figures). According to their survey of professionals in Portugal’s tourism sector, they highlight “a focus on sustainability”. Reinforcing the “Off-the-beaten-track goes mainstream” thing, they predict 2025 will be about “demystifying the perception of overtourism”. The IPDT believes “dispersing visitor influxes from overcrowded areas to less-explored regions is key to maintaining balance and reducing tensions in popular destinations.”
- And it’s not just about holidays any more – another BBC article about people staying away for longer talks about “blended travel trips that include both work and leisure, which are occasionally referred to by the mush-mouth portmanteau of ‘Bleisure’“. So now you know. That’s also where I discovered the concept of PTO hacking (Paid Time Off) which was apparently a big TikTok thing – the idea of combining national holidays with paid leave to get longer breaks. Quoting a Skift Research report, there’s apparently a “shift to spending on experiences over things” and it could be “the year of long getaways”. With the continuing popularity of remote working and Portugal’s Digital Nomad Visas, we’re hoping to lure some people to WFV (Work from the Valley) and stay with us through the winter. It’s why we paid for underfloor heating!
- “Spring is the new summer,” according to Zicasso’s luxury travel report, which says March to May is becoming increasingly popular for holidays and that Portugal is now the sixth most popular place to visit in the world – up from eighth for the last couple of years. There’s still a broad interest in “food, culture, wine, wildlife and adventure”. Younger travellers are showing more interest in culture and history and repeat travellers are interested in off-the-beaten-track tourism with “an increase in requests for eco-friendly and sustainable luxury options”. Marvellous.
- The most interesting thing Conde Naste Traveller announced from our perspective was “a new dawn for oenotourism” as “curiosity around lesser-known and re-emerging wine destinations is growing”. The Alentejo wine region is becoming increasingly popular, but the summers are brutal inland where most of the wineries are. By bringing their stories and their wines for tastings at the cooler coast, we hope to take advantage of the interest in 250 indigenous wine grapes and put vinho at the centre of our business.
- The Portugal Portfolio puts the Rise of Sustainable Travel in first place, both with the demand for “eco-friendly experiences” such as eco-lodges and Community-Focussed Tourism. “Tourists in 2025 won’t just be looking for breathtaking views; they’ll want responsible ways to enjoy them,” the property management company says. They emphasise off-the-beaten-path exploration: “Travellers are seeking lesser-known spots, avoiding tourist-crowded hubs. This desire to discover ‘hidden gems’ will shape new … local tourism economies.” And on ‘Bleisure’: “Digital nomads are no longer confined to coffee shops in major cities; they’re branching out to smaller, scenic locales offering reliable internet, cultural richness, and a stable environment.”
- And as a final thought … less about tourism and more about a longer-term move…the Financial Times featured a big report recently on “Creating new utopias in Portugal.” Unfortunately behind their firewall, but all their examples were in Alentejo and they quoted Claus Sendlinger, founder of Design Hotels, saying “Portugal has become the new California”, and a “fertile ground for experimental developments”. We’re certainly that! Portugal Portfolio has a similar take: Portugal’s New Utopias: Sustainable Communities is about environments that “blend modern comforts with eco-friendly practices”.
So, my take-away from all this is that we’re doing something right. Eco-luxe, off-the beaten track, place for Calmcations, Noctourism and the “mush-mouth portmanteau of ‘Bleisure’”. What a great line, I do love the BBC.
Link to a video showing the building of an eco-luxe lodge from start to finish: https://youtu.be/tlUA8kdzeik
ALASTAIR LEITHEAD is a former BBC foreign correspondent now living off the grid in rural Alentejo. You can find Ana & Al’s Big Portuguese Wine Adventure wherever you get your podcasts, or sign up here for his wine blog. He’s on Instagram @vale_das_estrelas.
