Portugal

Romance, culture and adventure awaits in Portugal. Advice on living or buying real estate.

Portugal

Fast Facts
Population: 10,642,836
Capital City: Lisbon

Climate: Maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south

Time Zone: GMT

Learn more about Portugal and other European countries in our daily postcard e-letter.

Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you a FREE report - Portugal—The Jewel of Southwest Europe

This special guide covers covers real estate, retirement and more in Portugal and is yours free when you sign up for our IL postcards below.

Enter your email address below

Portugal Articles

Living Well in Lisbon, Portugal
Posted on March 24, 2012 by Suchi Rudra

There is a wonderful rhythm to life in Alfama. It’s all about romantic views, secret neighborhoods, and faded grandeur. The houses here are clad in intricate tiles to reflect the sun’s heat, and it seems as if the city here wears its beauty inside out. Alfama is reminiscent of the North African heritage of southern Spanish cities like Seville and Granada.
Distressed in Europe
Posted on March 12, 2012 by Ronan McMahon

The economies of the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain) are in disarray. Europe is in the throws of sovereign, political and financial crises. Greece is bankrupt and burning. Yields on Portuguese bonds hit 17% earlier this year.
Why Livable Europe Should Be On Your List…
Posted on February 21, 2012 by Jennifer Stevens

What Life Overseas Really Looks Like…

Skeptics inquire: Are the opportunities overseas really as great as we at IL portray them to be? The short answer is “yes.” But don’t take my word for it… Listen, instead, to the many ﬁrsthand stories we’ve collected in this month’s issue—on-the-ground reports from folks who decided to answer the question for themselves…at the beach…in the hills…in cities…or on islands…
Adventures and Life in Old World Europe
Posted on February 21, 2012 by International Living

When Elizabeth Milovidov stood on the cobbles before the thousand-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral and wandered Paris’s narrow stone streets, soaking up the history and elegant architecture, she knew that her heart was lost.
Living Well in Lisbon: Captivated by the Portuguese Capital
Posted on February 21, 2012 by Suchi Rudra

Laundry is hanging in vivid, postcard style above bougainvillea-draped walls. Built on one of Lisbon’s seven hills, this is Alfama, my favorite Lisbon neighborhood.
Europe on Sale? Baloney!
Posted on October 14, 2011 by Ronan McMahon

The economies of the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain) are in disarray. Europe is in the throws of a banking crisis brought on by (among other things) exposure to Greek sovereign debt. Many of you have been asking if now is the time to jump in.
Wander Lisbon’s Alfama Neighborhood
Posted on July 20, 2011 by Darius Fisher

Of the grand capitals of Europe, Lisbon in Portugal is unjustly neglected by North Americans visiting the Old World. At the edge of the continent, facing the Atlantic Ocean, it’s just a little off the beaten track.
Royal Portugal on the Cheap
Posted on February 22, 2011 by Paul Lewis

In the last year two magnificent Portuguese palaces—one in the north of the country and the other in the south—have opened their gilded salons to guests, becoming part of the chain of pousadas.
On the House Travel…Here’s How
Posted on July 29, 2010 by Sandra Kennedy

I stayed at lavish haciendas, ate the freshest foods in Ecuador, got to know the smiling, helpful locals. I went to a Shaman healing ceremony, rode horses in the Andes and learned to weave. And then I sat sipping fresh mango juice, relaxing by the pool. It’s hard to believe it costs me nothing to travel like this.
5 Top Spots to Soak Up March’s Holy Week Celebrations
Posted on March 1, 2010 by International Living

Easter is the most important holiday of the Christian calendar. And in Spanish speaking Roman Catholic countries one day just isn’t enough.
Globetrotter
Posted on March 1, 2010 by International Living

From finding teaching jobs in Thailand to buying and selling your guidebooks online – there’s something for everyone in this month’s globetrotter.
Old World Europe: Medieval Alentejo
Posted on March 1, 2010 by Steenie Harvey

In the first of a series on unspoiled European enclaves, Steenie Harvey reports back from the Alentejo region of south-central Portugal. Here you’re far from the tourist trail in a land of slow roads, off-thegrid beaches and fl ower-fi lled fortress towns
Market Watch: Profit Ahead of the Posse in Portugal’s Costa da Caparica
Posted on March 1, 2010 by International Living

I’ve just come back from my first scouting trip to Portugal’s Costa da Caparica. And I can report back to you that this stretch of coast is set to be transformed. The Costa da Caparica is set for major infrastructure and tourism investment. This area has stayed under the radar for a long time. Don’t expect this to last. There are 13 miles of pristine beach backed by undulating dunes and pine trees…20 championship golf courses within an hour’s drive…and some of the best surf waves in Europe.
The Portuguese government has had major success marketing other parts of the country—most successfully the Algarve—to visitors. Now they have their sights set on the Costa da Caparica as a focus for tourism and high-tech industry development. They mean business.
Lisbon, Portugal: A Travel Writer’s Night Out
Posted on February 15, 2010 by Steenie Harvey

Travel writing never feels like work to me. And when you acquire the research skills that go with the job, it boosts your enjoyment of a place tremendously. In fact, research often leads me to local places where few tourists go—and I think that’s much more fun…
Evora, Portugal: New Prospects for This Medieval City
Posted on January 5, 2010 by Steenie Harvey

It’s late November, but warm enough to lunch outside under the orange trees. I’m …
From the Caribbean to the Greek Isles: Your dream beach hideaway awaits
Posted on September 25, 2008 by International Living

Discover your dream beach hideaway with International Living…
Portugal’s Medieval Jewel: The Walled Village of Obidós
Posted on October 9, 2007 by International Living

The ancient wall of Obidós appears suddenly, just off the A8 motorway an hour …
A Night in an Obidos nunnery
Posted on October 9, 2007 by International Living

I feel stupid. Given the key to a third-floor room, I’ve just asked the …
Low-key Leiria
Posted on October 9, 2007 by International Living

If you’re enticed by the idea of a no-nonsense Portugal-and don’t need to be …
Houses of the holy-converted convents and monasteries
Posted on October 3, 2007 by Carla Johnston

Looking to relax in luxury? Check out International Living’s top monastery hotel finds throughout the world.
Hotspots
Posted on August 28, 2007 by International Living

Take a look at some up and coming hotspots for international real estate investing.
The undiscovered treasures of Central Portugal’s Silver Coast
Posted on August 22, 2007 by International Living

Central Portugal is one of Europe’s sleeping beauties. Why it gets ignored is puzzling. …
Figueira da Foz: Too much development?
Posted on August 8, 2007 by International Living

Figueira da Foz is one of the largest resorts on Portugal’s Atlantic coast. Stretching …
Alas, Poor Obidos
Posted on August 8, 2007 by International Living

Once upon a time, Obidos was the bridal dowry of Portugal’s kings to their …
Portugal’s Silver Coast: Sardines and skullduggery in Nazare
Posted on August 8, 2007 by International Living

If anybody had said fishwives still exist in modern-day Portugal, I would have scoffed. …
The undiscovered treasures of Central Portugal’s Silver Coast
Posted on July 23, 2007 by Steenie Harvey

Central Portugal is one of Europe’s sleeping beauties.

Why it gets ignored is puzzling. Hemming a rugged coastline of cliffs, coves, and whitewashed windmills, the Atlantic beaches of the Beira and Estremadura provinces resemble broad golden ribbons. Slumbering inland are historic castle towns, abbeys, and pilgrim shrines. Small villages come surrounded by terraced olive groves, citrus orchards, and vineyards.
Thanks to tax reform, the Algarve is again Western Europe’s best beach bargain
Posted on May 23, 2007 by International Living

A new law went into effect last year that will transform the Portuguese real …
Lunch for $6.50 and homes for less than $85,000: Portugal’s green and affordable north
Posted on May 23, 2007 by International Living

US$1 equals 0.76 euro The train thunders northwards. Outside is a landscape of frost-kissed …
Fragrant Snow in Portugal
Posted on April 19, 2007 by International Living

Dear International Living Reader, Spring comes early to Portugal’s Algarve. The first signs are …
One Thousand Steps to Sanctuary
Posted on April 19, 2007 by International Living

Dear International Living Reader, The guidebook says there are 1,000 steps up to the …
The World’s Best Port
Posted on April 19, 2007 by International Living

Dear International Living Reader, A Scotsman called George Sandeman knew all about profiting from …
Best Eats in Town
Posted on April 19, 2007 by International Living

Dear Reader, We like historical cities, so when we were in Lisbon, a day …
Buyer Beware of Barcelos
Posted on April 19, 2007 by International Living

Dear International Living Reader, Buy a guidebook about northern Portugal and you’re sure to …
Slats, Slots, and Codfish Rissoles
Posted on April 19, 2007 by International Living

Dear International Living Reader, Like your seas a wild winter symphony of crashing swells? …
The Portuguese Tax-man Can Help!
Posted on April 19, 2007 by International Living

Dear International Living Reader, In the stroke of a few short sessions of parliament, …
See Lisbon for $1.25
Posted on April 19, 2007 by International Living

Dear International Living Reader, Last Saturday, we rode the Santa Justa elevator in the …
Chestnuts, New Wine, and Sunshine
Posted on April 19, 2007 by International Living

The Portuguese celebrate tomorrow with a magusto–a traditional party with roasted chestnuts and plenty …
The Insider’s Algarve
Posted on April 19, 2007 by International Living

If you’re planning an autumn holiday, the Algarve’s skies are sunny into September and …
The Secret September Beaches of Portugal
Posted on April 19, 2007 by International Living

The sun beats down on the sand, heating everything to a melting 96 degrees …
A Big Little Meal in Portugal
Posted on April 19, 2007 by International Living

Visit Portugal between May and October, and you’ll see "Há sardinhas"–"We have sardines"–added to …