Portugal: The #1 Country In The World To Retire To
Posted on 18th March 2021 at 11:33
Portugal is a country that a lot of people visit for a holiday, especially the Algarve, for its’ stunning countryside, lovely weather, and for many, the amazing golf courses. On the eastern border there are some dramatic mountains in the Serra de Sao mountain park, in the north-west there are the Minho lakes, and there is Peneda-Geres National Park which is home to deer, wolves, and even golden eagles. There are also wonderful little mediaeval villages here too.
Head to the east or the south and you will hit water, with some wonderful beaches with water sports and surfing, such as the Castelejo beach with miles of golden sands, steep black cliffs, and awesome Atlantic waves.
Portugal also has some fabulous vineyards, especially in the Douro region in the north where they make port. In the 17th and 18th centuries, we British were fighting France and turned to Portugal for wine. Two British brothers wanted to take the wine home and they added grape brandy to the wine to help it survive the journey, and that was the beginning of port.
Of course, they needed a cork to put into the wine bottles and as luck would have it the Algarve has some of the world’s finest cork oak trees, Since the 1800’s, cork production has resulted in some of the richest families in the country, with Portugal supplying over half of the world’s production of cork, so they earn a good living from it.
If you like fish, you’ll like Portugal too. It is the world’s sixth largest consumer of fish. In particular, they catch a lot of cod and sardines, but at the fish markets you can find freshly caught Atlantic sea bass, stone bass, and golden bream among other varieties, as well as oysters, mussels, clams, and a local delicacy, perceves, or goose barnacles. The Portuguese eat grilled sardines on bread, and a speciality is salted cod. You will find that everywhere, used in simple lunch dishes to elaborate meals. On Christmas Eve they eat Bacalhau com todos – “salted cod with everything”.
If you are thinking of retiring to Portugal, the cost of living is very reasonable. To give an idea, according to Statista, the average salary in Portugal in 2018 was €17,250 – just £15,100. It is the cheapest country in Western Europe to live in. Furthermore, expats are welcome. Between 2011 and 2016, the workforce was severely depleted by emigration and the government is doing its’ best to bring more people in. They have made it easier for foreigners to buy homes and obtain work permits, and if you are retiring they have made a law that allows you to receive your pension for up to 10 years without paying any tax on it, which makes removals to Portugal a nice option.
There is also a big community of expats, especially in the Algarve with all that sun and sand, and that makes it a great choice for other expats who are retiring. In fact, according to Live And Invest Overseas, Portugal – and especially the Algarve – was the #1 place in the world to retire in 2020.
If you are planning on joining many other British retirees in Portugal, at Movers International have over 30 years of experience in removals to Portugal, and we also have regular runs to the country every other week. Obviously, we know the country very well, and we can safely pack and move all your belongings to wherever you are going in the country.
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