Living outside of Lisbon

I am living south of Lisbon in the county of Sesimbra. The bus system is pretty good. Rents are not as cheap as other areas of Portugal but it is not outrageous if you look first. I can get you some more links if you need them for real estate sites that will target the area. The dog issue is usually on an as-discussed basis. Large dogs present more of a problem. Here is the bus company of the area with times and routes.

We would like to have access to public transportation that goes into Lisbon and Lisbon airport.

The Portuguese "florida" has been for years Algarve.
But, the prices have been raising a lot over the year, and the new generation of expat moving to Portugal have been focussing on rural areas.

Transportation system is globally functional.
Once in Lisbon, unless you need special care or have some handicap, airport is never too far. Just take a taxi for that "final miles".

Along the railway that conect north to south bordering the cost, you might find unique oportunities for rentals.
If you have 400K, and acquire real estate, you are on a fast line to obtain european citizenships ( crises lead to new regulations to atract investors ).

Portugal is the third consumer of fish in the world, a universe of taste to discover !

cheers