Alba V. Says:
We would like to spend two weeks in May 2023 touring Portugal to find a place where we could retire for a few years and enjoy the beautiful and affordable spots, cobblestone villages or non-tourist beach areas.
Can you offer some ideas on where to go?
IL Portugal Correspondent Terry Coles Says:
Hello Alba,
Thanks so much for your interest in IL and Portugal, my adopted home country.
Portugal has many places where retirees may choose to live but it all depends what you are looking for. You really need to ask yourself lots of questions to find the place that suits you best.
Do you prefer a big city or small town? Want to be around expats and other English speakers or do you prefer to become one with the locals? Do you like hot, dry summers and mild winters or prefer less summer heat but are ok with cold, rainy winters?
The expat havens in Portugal would be Porto, in the north, the Silver Coast, one hour north of Lisbon in the central region, and the Algarve in the south. The further inland you go the more affordable prices will be. Just like anywhere in the world, prices tend to rise near coastal areas.
Another thing about coastal towns is that they bring summer tourists wherever you choose to live. The words coast and tourist go hand in hand most everywhere in the world. But in Portugal’s Algarve the majority of tourists come in the summer so we only need to put up with them for a few months, then life is quiet again.
I suggest that you rent a car at the airport and drive from one end of the country to the other, stopping along the way to explore. If you favor one area over another, like the Algarve vs. the north, then concentrate only in that region. May is a lovely time to visit since the summer tourists have not yet arrived and the weather should be perfect.
Hope this helps. Safe travels.
Editor’s Note: Portugal offers just about everything a discerning, budget-minded world travel enthusiast could ever want. That’s why we put together our Portugal Scouting Trip Itineraries and Travel Guide. If you’d like to spend one week, two weeks, or up to four weeks in Portugal, this guide will show you how to have the trip of a lifetime while you’re there. You can pick it up on the IL Bookstore here.
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