IL Magazine: Discover the World's Best Retirement Haven for 2023 + 15 more
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One country stood out and they returned time after time: Portugal. Ultimately it captured their hearts and they knew they wanted to make it home. “It was the Portuguese people that really sealed the deal for us,” David says. “They are so gracious and welcoming, even to those of us that don’t speak the language.
Anyone who travels through the Andalusia region of Spain will notice a peculiar similarity in the names of many of the towns and cities. Jerez de la Frontera, Arcos de la Frontera, Vejer de la Frontera, Morón de la Frontera, and others all have the words “de la Frontera” attached to their names.
From medieval villages where castles stood proud to quaint mountain hideaways where no tourists were found. The ravishing Douro where terraced vineyards surround Roman ruins, baroque churches, and cute cobbled towns. There were so many special delights to see, and although it was challenging here’s our favorite three.
If you’ve fallen for Portugal’s many charms and are looking to take expat life here for a trial run then one of the items top of your list will be finding a place to call home. So, to that end, let’s have a look at how the whole rental market works here…While some real estate companies do offer property management services, most rentals are found online.
The town of Nazaré, on Portugal’s Silver Coast is a mecca for daredevil surfers from around the globe. Waves as tall as 78-feet have been recorded here, some of the tallest in the world. Crowds gather to watch the impressive waves breaking along the coast or just to chill out on the beach...
Would you believe that not everyone knows that Portuguese is the official language of Portugal? Some think that Spanish is spoken here, and although both languages do share many of the same words, pronunciation of European Portuguese resembles more of a Slavic language...
No one likes to be in the hospital, yet whenever my husband, Clyde, thinks about the time he was hospitalized in Spain, he smiles. Spoiler Alert: He liked the spongebaths. We’d been house- and petsitting in the rural countryside of Spain. It wasn’t a tough gig. Surrounded by nothing more than a desert-like vista of dirt...
Step back in time and experience the real Portugal in the market town of Loulé. Located less than 10 miles from Faro International Airport, Loulé began life as a Roman fort dating back to the 2nd century B.C. But it was not until the Romans left and the Moors took over that Loulé flourished into an important trade center...
One of the benefits of retiring to Portugal is having access to their low-cost, public healthcare system. It was a Sunday afternoon as I entered the busy emergency room. I registered at the reception desk and within a few minutes I was called into a little room...
“My husband Eric cannot stop smiling,” says Lorrie Griffith. “For the past 12 years, we’ve been talking about buying a house and moving to Panama, and finally that dream has become a reality.”