Two Affordable Hidden Gems for Expats in Northern Portugal

Two Affordable Hidden Gems for Expats in Northern Portugal
Discover authentic living in Santo Tirso and Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal.|©iStock/StockPhotosArt

While Porto, Lisbon, and the Algarve often steal the spotlight, northern Portugal is full of hidden gems offering vibrant communities, affordable living, and rich culture. One standout example is Vila Nova de Famalicão, with the nearby bedroom community of Porto—Santo Tirso—embodying a distinctly different yet appealing experience and pace of life.

I recently visited both cities as part of IL’s Hidden Places Initiative to see what they offer expats today.

Vila Nova de Famalicão

A quiet base with easy access to Porto and the coast.
A quiet base with easy access to Porto and the coast.|©iStock/StockPhotosArt

Since Portugal first appeared on the radar of potential expats around the world, locations like Lisbon, Porto, and the southern region of the Algarve have lured many to visit and relocate. I was one of them.

I moved abroad in 2012 and lived on a farm in the nearby area of Cruz. The estate that became Quinta de Pindela had been given to my landlord’s ancestors by King Sancho I of Portugal in the 11th century. It was a thrilling and romantic start to my Iberian adventure, and Vila Nova de Famalicão was my go-to city.

Thirteen years ago, I had no frame of reference for assessing it—it was all I knew. Recently, I returned to northwest Portugal to see if it fit the bill for IL’s Hidden Places Initiative.

Lifestyle

There’s a sense of enterprise in this middle-class city that grew up around the textile industry. There are people on the sidewalks and cars on the roads without crowding or traffic jams. There are numerous restaurants and cafés. You can easily live in the town center and walk almost everywhere.

On a typical day, you might start with a workout. I spent the night at the B&B Hotel, and in the morning, I walked twenty minutes to Ginásio Status, my former health club. The pleasant young man at reception, Rafael, did not speak English, so I told him in Portuguese that I had been a member in 2012. Soon, Mike, the owner, came out to chat with me (in English). I looked fondly at the treadmills I knew so well, and he generously offered me complimentary use of the facilities.

I thanked him, but next on my agenda was Famalicão’s recently remodeled library, a five-minute walk from the gym. Years ago, I donated an autographed copy of my first book to their foreign language collection, and I wanted to see if it was still on the shelf. It was.

I had a couple of afternoon appointments, so I opted for an early lunch. In between the library and the gym, I’d passed Rua Gourmet Café. Their pastry display was enticing, but they also served paninis, pizza, and pasta.

I wasn’t disappointed. The owner, Francisco, was born in Bari, Italy, and brought every bit of Italian culinary talent with him. We thought we couldn’t eat another bite of four-cheese pizza, but the tiramisu was irresistible. We paid the bill after our server, Sayonara, packaged lemon bars and cookies for the road. Lunch for two (with take-home pizza), including dessert, bottled water, a glass of wine, coffee, and sweets, was €28 (about $30).

“The road” led us five minutes away to my first appointment. In 2012, there was a small shop where we would go for coffee and cake or wine and cheese. Now in a new and larger location, the proprietor, Elsa, and her partner Paulo no longer offered table service, but we enjoyed a glass of port wine on the house as we caught up on old times and admired how their business, Presentes Gourmet, had grown.

A City on the Rise

That growth seems to be a theme here. It’s impossible to miss the new construction, cranes poised here and there around the city. Famalicão is home to a number of tech and manufacturing companies, and part of their educational system includes a thriving vocational school.

At the library, I had picked up a booklet, Famalicão Agenda, outlining the month’s cultural happenings. Either I’d missed a great deal years ago (possible, given our focus on acclimating to a new country), or this city has bloomed in a spectacular way. There were multiple music performances (opera, fado, classical, contemporary), film screenings, lectures, and special events for children and seniors. Among the venues were Museu Bernardino Machado, Parque da Devesa (their “Central Park”), and the home of a famous Portuguese writer, Casa-Museu de Camilo.

Cost of Living

My next meeting was with Cristina Carvalho, who heads a team of seven ReMax agents. Having found homes for more than 2,000 families over the past 15 years, I thought she might be the right person to talk to. Prior to meeting, Cristina expressed concern that she didn’t speak enough English, but I assured her we’d be able to communicate. During our talk, she said one of her colleagues was working with a couple from the U.S. who was purchasing a home in Famalicão, so obviously it can be done.

Carvalho agreed the city was growing. She also said prices are on the way up, but it’s still a more affordable market than, say, Porto. Examples of prices she shared were: a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment for sale for €165,000 ($179,000); a three-bedroom one minute from the city center for €170,000 ($184,000); and a newer construction four-bedroom, two-bath for €399,000 ($432,000). She also mentioned there was not a wealth of rental properties available—a little more than a handful. But a four-bedroom, two-bath, fully equipped home for €1,400 ($1,516) a month on a corner lot seemed like a find.

Just as dining out and real estate are both reasonable here, so are grocery expenses. The two large supermarkets, Auchan and E. Leclerc, also have a collection of individual stores and services in their complexes. You can even get reasonably priced gas for your car at both of them. There are boutiques in town as well, and you can find great deals on almost anything at the huge weekly market. (I did!)

Accessibility and Infrastructure

Vila Nova de Famalicão enjoys a privileged location as the gateway to the Minho region, situated between Porto to the south and Galicia, Spain, to the north. Although the municipality has a population of about 135,000, the city itself is much smaller—about 9,000.

It’s served by a network of modern roads, including one of the most important junctions in the country—the A3 (Porto–Vigo) and the A7 (Guimarães–Póvoa de Varzim)—as well as a train service with direct connections to Braga, Guimarães, Porto, Vigo (Spain), Coimbra, Lisbon, and the Algarve. The city is thirty minutes from the international airport Francisco Sá Carneiro in Porto. In short, you can get anywhere you want with ease.

Healthcare is available free or at low cost at the public hospital (Unidade Hospitalar), the Centro de Saúde, and private clinics.

The Verdict

This city has changed a great deal in the past twelve years. In contrast to Santo Tirso, it has a modified city vibe. Famalicão is growing, and while its development is not aimed at expats specifically, a by-product of new construction and increased cultural offerings is an expanded middle class.

There’s both generational and ethnic diversity here, and I think with a bit of Portuguese under your belt, you can get along quite well.

Remote workers have the remodeled and modernized library with designated workspace, and they—and retirees alike—can take advantage of the many festivals, concerts, and other cultural activities available. It’s a winner because it’s not only less expensive, but also not as difficult to navigate by car or foot as its better-known neighbors, Braga and Porto.

Hidden Places: Ready Now

Santo Tirso

Monasteries and mountain views.
Monasteries and mountain views.|©iStock/StockPhotosArt

I was in a small shopping mall in northern Portugal, the kind that existed years before today’s multi-level productions with escalators, food courts, and cineplexes. Strolling past the storefronts, I spotted an immigration attorney’s office. I knocked on the door and was buzzed inside.

After exchanging niceties, I asked Doutora Ana Rita Machado where most of her clients were from.

“India, Pakistan, and Brazil,” she replied.

This fits with my perception based on interactions so far in town. Now, a lawyer and her colleague, Bruna, had confirmed it. So had Gonçalo, at the front desk of Santo Thyrso Hotel. There’s not much English spoken here.

Santo Tirso is located about fifteen miles northeast of Porto’s city center. Its history is tied to a Benedictine Monastery dating from 978. The city was a major player in the mid-nineteenth century during the industrialization of the Ave Valley, eventually opening what would become the largest textile factory in Portugal.

These two facts epitomize—at least to me—the idea that here, there’s more of a sense of the past than the present or future.

Lifestyle

The city has much to offer—its Mediterranean climate brings warm, sunny summers and mild winters, perfect for those who enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle. With a population of just 14,000, it offers a peaceful, health-focused environment surrounded by nature.

For example, in season, Santo Tirso Urban Beach has spaces with umbrellas, bar service, public restrooms, sand, grassy areas, and water sprayers covering two and a half acres along the banks of the Ave River.

Parque Urbano Sara Moreira offers walking and running trails, as well as soccer and basketball zones. It’s ideal for children and pets, with its playground and dog park. Caldas da Saúde provides thermal cures (in addition to a fascinating exhibition of items used in spa treatments in the early 20th century).

We discovered tree-lined plazas with benches, flowers, and statues, and enjoyed watching the geese's antics at the pond in tranquil Parque Dona Maria II.

While exploring Santo Tirso as a possible “Hidden Place,” we stopped into a NOS store to fix a cellphone issue. Sónia, the manager, was training Inês, and both were happy to converse in English, although they admitted it’s rarely spoken here. Brazilian-born Michelle, owner and operator of Gelato Artesanale—who was as warm and friendly as the gelato was delicious—agreed it was important to speak the local lingo.

Cost of Living and Housing

The main factors affecting the cost of living in Portugal are dining out (how often and where you go) and housing, as utilities, groceries, and clothing expenses are much the same everywhere. We ate at Olímpico because it was a three-minute walk from our hotel, and dinner for two with wine ran only about $30. Had we known about it, we would have taken an extra five minutes to stroll to the lovely Parque Dona Maria II. At Dona Francesinha, situated on a hill with a view of the monastery, the specialty is the whopping, meaty sandwich of the same name, originating in Porto. I still haven’t eaten one of these in all my years in Portugal, but this restaurant has a chicken version for €11.50 ($12.40). Next time!

As for rentals, I found a one-bedroom furnished apartment for €850 ($925) and a three-bedroom for €1,200 ($1,300). These prices aren’t dramatically different from those in other cities we’ve covered in the north (though they are lower than in Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve). The best deal seemed to be in purchasing real estate: a four-bedroom home fifteen minutes from the Urban Beach was advertised for €260,000 ($280,790), which seemed like a find to me.

Healthcare

Residents of Portugal are entitled to use the public health system for free or for a minimal charge, and there is a hospital in town—Unidade Hospitalar de Santo Tirso—open 24 hours. In case of emergency, just as anywhere in the country (and Europe), dial 112 and an ambulance will arrive. In addition, you’re close to excellent private healthcare options in Porto.

Accessibility and Infrastructure

If you fly into Porto’s Francisco Sá Carneiro International Airport, you can be in Santo Tirso in twenty minutes by car, or thirty to forty minutes by bus or train. Once there, you’ll need to hoof it or take a taxi or Uber, as the bus system mainly services outlying villages and other cities.

As I hadn’t found the shopping malls of much interest, I asked Sónia and Inês at NOS which of the city’s options they preferred, and they smiled and said, “Porto and Braga.” Nevertheless, individual stores and boutiques offer nice possibilities.

The Verdict

In essence, Santo Tirso is an affordable bedroom community of Porto and Vila Nova de Famalicão—information gleaned not only through observation but also from the admission of business owners in Famalicão who reside in Santo Tirso. This means the streets are not busy in the daytime, as they are in the other two cities. In fact, they seemed quiet most of the time. There’s not much residential development going on. Santo Tirso is what it is—and appears it will stay that way.

If you don’t care to live on the ocean but still enjoy nature, this may be for you. The River Ave adds life to the city, making it perfect for a physically fit retiree who enjoys walking and biking. There’s a lot to be said for a quintessentially Portuguese town within close proximity to such a wealth of cultural offerings.

Just brush up on your Portuguese.

Hidden Places: Ready Now

Editor's Note: Our Hidden Places Initiative uncovers the world’s best under-the-radar towns where expats can live well for less. Click here to explore more Hidden Places destination reports.

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