Portugal Is A Beautiful Country In Which To Live

Indeed, in January, the Interior Minister announced proudly that the foreign population of Portugal had passed the ½ million mark, so with an overall population of 10.3 million, just under 5% are foreigners, and around half of those are British or Irish. This policy means that it is easier to obtain a work permit and to buy a property. Furthermore, many Portuguese speak English. 

 

Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon, is the second oldest capital city in Europe, after Athens, and is known as the City of Seven Hills. Almost every street is hilly, except down by the river, so you can get good exercise in Lisbon. In fact, almost everything in Lisbon is within a 20-minute walk, and the city is always packed with tourists – some 4.5 million a year – and new bars, hotels, and restaurants are springing up all over the city. 

 

There is plenty of space in Portugal. The country is just 38% of the size of Britain, but we have a population of 66 million compared with Portugal’s 10.3 million, so it is not nearly so crowded. Portugal is also the most affordable country in Western Europe. The average salary is €17,240 (£15,380) compared with the average of £35,423 in the UK for those in full time work (according to the Office of National Statistics), so the cost of living is a lot less than in the UK. 

 

If you love fish, then Portugal is a great place to be. They are the 6th largest consumers of fish in the world, getting through 57kg per head per year. The big two fish are cod and sardines, with Bacalhau com todos being eaten all over the country on Christmas Eve: it means “salted cod with everything”. Portugal also loves wine and has been making both red and white for hundreds of years. Naturally, port and Madeira are both very well-known and account for 40% of the country’s wine exports each year. 

 

Of course, they needed cork to put in their wine bottles, and it just so happens that cork has to come from the cork oak tree (Quercus suber) and it also happens that the best cork oak trees in the world grow in the Algarve. Result! 

 

Portugal also has some stunning countryside with amazing mountains on the eastern border, and Peneda-Geres National Park in the north, not far from the Spanish border. Here there are wolves, deer, and golden eagles, with beautiful little medieval villages dotted about. And of course, on the Algarve there are fantastic beaches and some 34 golf courses, many of international standard. 

 

So there is a lot to recommend living in Portugal, and if you decide to move there and join the large tribe of other expats, at Movers International we know the country well and can take you wherever you decide to settle. If Lisbon is for you, let us know if the street is big enough for a large removal lorry because many of them are not. We also undertake regular runs every other week, so we can take part loads removals to Portugal if need be. Indeed, if you need part loads removals to Portugal, we can arrange for storage on the Silver Coast or the Algarve if your new home is not ready to move into. 

 

We have over 30 years’ experience of moving people to Portugal, and our friendly team of packers and movers will help to ensure that your move goes like a dream.