Silver Coast - Suggestions?

It sounds like you have been doing some fairly good research so far, but we don't know ... for example, everything was pretty close to the sea, until we got to Coimbra, and it might help to know why that pops up.  In terms of the physical situation - there are few places on earth as nice as San Diego, and frankly I haven't seen this in Portugal, but I haven't been to the Algarve.

The ideal thing, as you know, is to be able to drift around a bit to get some real sense of what places are like, maybe year around, but then it isn't that small of a country and the difference from one side of town to the other might be larger than between one town and another.  But as long as you're in the vicinity, I'd have a look at Leiria, and maybe one of the smaller towns like Porto do Mos.  There are nice towns along the coast to the north that are fairly popular expat destinations, like Aveiro and Ovar.  And the Setúbal district to the south could be a little warmer weather than all that.

As I never tire of pointing out, the language here is Portuguese, and it's a good idea to start in on that while looking at travel brochures.  Or if you don't really expect to climb that mountain, that's a factor - probably forget Leiria etc., you're going to need to stick to peak tourist areas.  In practically any place big enough to support a major grocery, the walking distance goal will be easy to satisfy, but the meeting your neighbors goal is maybe a little more hit and miss, and of course if the neighbors need to speak English, that's an issue.  Our neighbors are all somewhat past middle age, and one of them knows a few words of English.  Their adult children can mostly manage a little, but .. I can't say for sure that anyone is really eager to go there, you know - the ones who chose to live outside the Portuguese speaking world, are not here.

@donn25 Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I am studying Portuguese for an hour most days (at least five days per week), so I should know enough for a friendly conversation by June (I learn quickly) and be quite comfortable in another 14 - 16 months. We both expect to speak more Portuguese than English after we arrive, and we'll start speaking it at home now for the things we've learned to say.

We live slightly inland now, not on the beach, but we can get there readily. We thought we'd check Coimbra because of the University (we've always lived in college towns) and because it's warmer without being as tourist-filled as the Algarve. The temperature concerns me less than reports on the wind, although maybe I read reports from people who want to keep expats away... I'd like to live somewhere I'd want to use my balcony or patio on a sunny day. We have an onshore flow here - there's always some breeze - but it's rare to have it so strong that we're tying things down or not wanting to go to the beach or be outside. I'm trying to determine if the coast (Figueira da Foz, Nazaré, etc.) will have that same issue. Hubby would really like an ocean view, but that's a want, not a need.

San Diego is lovely, but the cost of living is sky-high and rising fast. They say the cost of living in Portugal is 40% that of the United States, but that is for *most* of the United States. It's about 20% that of San Diego. San Diego is also crowded. We've seen it triple in size in the 42 years we've lived here. We're ready for a community that feels like a community, a slower pace, and the chance to immerse ourselves in the local culture.

I've heard some complaints about wind, but not specifically the places you mentioned so far.  Lourinhã, could be?  It's bound to happen of course, but I've been to Figueira da Foz a couple of times and didn't really notice it.  If there were a down side to the weather there, it would be that it can be cool and grey when it's hot and sunny here (we're close enough to Coimbra.)  Not a major difference, not as bad as I experienced in Ventura's "June-uary", but you know what I mean.  It freezes a little here, and doesn't often in the places you mention, so that's something, but for me ... I'm here for the sun.

Coimbra is a good example of how easy it is to have a bad example.  I've been there a few times, as it's the closest big city on the train, and I don't look forward to it at all.  Not anything specific, just doesn't appeal to me.  But we were there with a friend who lived there, and kind of experiencing it like she does, ... OK, maybe I can see it.  Or there are a thousand places you could end up around the city, that each would be significantly different.  Anyway, the main complaint I've actually seen about it, is that the students are noisy.  Figueira da Foz though I liked.  Nazaré is more touristy / beach town. 

@gwalks

why not considering the whole region?

https://portugalportogallo.wordpress.co … e-to-live/

@Santi2

I don't know what to think about this.  The same thing from you, over and over -- link to a site about Tomar.  It would be nice to have you some time genuinely participate in a conversation, not just pitching your real estate.

Something else occurs to me that we don't often talk about, but ... bugs.  Right where I am, we have

1. face flies, a lot like a housefly but not interested in your food or anything, it wants you.  To land on you somewhere.  Most of the year, particularly in the fall.
2. some unidentified smaller fly or gnat that is specifically attracted to faces, but is not nearly as competent at flying and tends to smack into your face at full speed, apparently going for the eyes as best as it can.  They aren't likely long distance fliers either, so I doubt they travel far from the grassy fields they're born in.  Any time of the year it's pleasant.
3. mosquitoes.  Only at night here, during warm parts of the year.  Several species, occasional reports of mosquito borne diseases but as far as I know not yet a real problem.
4. ticks.  I've caught them on me, never been bitten that I know of.  I believe the kind we have aren't spreading Lyme disease, but I'm not an authority on this.

If you're in a more urban environment than me and you stay there, you won't cross paths with the ticks and gnats.  The face flies and mosquitos might be harder to escape, but it occurs to me that the cool breezy coastal cities might have a big advantage here.  Or large urbanized areas - particularly the face flies could be uncommon where there aren't any grazing animals anywhere.

Good points. After more research, I added Portimão to the list as a less touristy part of the Algarve -- and hubby likes it for the nearby racetrack. He's a huge MotoGP fan and is excited by the prospect of watching races live, whether in person or on television. (And I'm excited by the prospect of him finding friends that share his fascination with the sport so that I don't have to... I really hate motorcycles, but I try to be tolerant because he loves them so much.)

We hike a lot, so I suspect we'll use the Picaridin-based sprays and treat our clothes with permethrin if ticks and mosquitoes are around. As a soon-to-be-retired doctor, sunscreen and bug spray are part of my life. I've spent too many years preaching it to patients. 😉

Hi @gwalks, Welcome.

Here's the 2025 calendar of races in Portimão.

Why not buy a ticket and get to know this city?

https://autodromodoalgarve.com/pt/calendario-corridas/

---

Circuit details

https://www.motogp.com/en/calendar/2024 … rcuit-info

Regards

Maybe you'd be the right one to survey the literature, once you get here, and confirm that the ticks you encounter aren't a big disease risk.  In my area, that's (excuse me) Rhipicephalus sanguineus.

I used to have a big old Moto Guzzi, but it got so I couldn't reliably right it if it fell over and it was getting to be more trouble than it was worth.  My electric bicycle turns out to be more fun anyway, and it's practical here in Portugal where roads are often not well suited to ordinary cycling.  I see a fair amount of motorcycles, but not like in Southern California, and also kind of surprisingly rarely see convertibles.

@JohnnyPT

Sadly, the schedule doesn't work for this trip, but I suspect I can convince Hubby to schedule an apartment hunting trip to coincide with a later race weekend. 😉 Otherwise, since I'll have used all of my vacation time, we'll use our relocation attorney to check out places virtually. We want to make the move in March or April 2026.

When I said something about the schedule, he said he'd already downloaded it. I should have known -- he has it on his private calendar, with alerts as to when the broadcasts are available here. He's hilarious when they're delayed here because he won't go near his computer until he's watched for fear of discovering who won. Somebody he follows had a big crash that looked deadly a few weeks ago (I can't remember who) -- one of hubby's friends from the UK texted him, "Let me just say that he's OK. You'll know what I mean later." Almost no one shares his devotion to the sport here, and as much as I love him, I can't get excited about it.

Hubby and I are coming to explore the region in late May 2025 and intend to move in early spring 2026 (renting initially). The Silver Coast suits us in weather, population, and location --but I want to be sure we consider all our options. Our dream home would be within walking distance of local shops, grocery stores, and cafés, and make it easier for us to get to know our neighbors. We're very active and love to hike and explore, so we'll want a car (and my husband will want a motorcycle, but I'm scared to death to sit on one), so we'll need parking, too. We will stay in Caldas da Rainha, Figueira da Foz, and Coimbra, each for 3 nights, but we aren't limiting ourselves to the bigger cities. Are there other areas we should consider? We're from San Diego, California, and have experience with summer tourism. As a result, a highly touristed place would need to be pretty special to overcome that drawback. And just how windy is "windy"? I can't find anything that compares it to the beach wind I'm familiar with... I have so many questions. - @gwalks

Hi and Welcome,

       You don't say if you have EU passports or will be getting visas, or have been here before, or why you picked those places.  Firstly from experience there is a vast difference between what people "research" on the interweb and real life in Portugal.

If you are looking to rent/buy property, maybe as part of visa applications, then I suggest to spend a lot of time looking, it is pointless searching for curtain properties in some locations as they may not exist or be available there. Additionally, most people, require to view a property before rent/buying. Your 3 nights in 3 places seems to be far to little time to get to know an area, Summer is different to winter so where as a property may look ideal in the June sunshine often older places have little of no insulation, lack central heating and mould is a problem in the damp months.

    Silver coast is maybe 150Km of Atlantic shore with quite a bit inaccessible, and some exposed beaches/Atlantic unsuitable for swimming, the coves like Nazaré or Obidos lagoon etc are sheltered so these beaches are packed in the summer. If you do a map search of the 150Km you can see which parts have buildings/roads and lots of parts where there is little access. Check the extreme "biggest wave ever surfed" Nazaré videos and imagine swimming there.

        Small motorbikes are a brilliant way to get about, we use them all the time unless there a storm as countryside roads often have low speed limits and little traffic so good for popping to the supermarket in town, or picking up a bag of cement, or going for a lunch, swimming in the local lake, going fishing or parking by leaning against a wall to get the train, there also 250cc quads, not sure why people can reject things with out trying them.

            To check what properties may be available in which areas you could try OXL PT   or  Idealista PT then try booking a viewing and see if any reply to give you an idea how your search may go. . There is no obvious available data base of recently sold properties or rented properties with prices for you to do comparisons with.

Good Luck

I don't know about 250cc quads, but one sees a fair number of tractors on the road.  They're going to rent, though, a year down the road when they're planning to move, so vehicular options might be a little limited.

We're from the US. We're looking at the D7 Visa. This is a scouting trip to get a feel for the areas. We fully expect to rent for as long as it takes to feel we're making the right decision. We recognize that we may move a time or two (or more) after arrival as we learn more about our surroundings and how we fit in with them. We've been told that an agent proxy can look at the properties for us when we're ready to move and take us on a virtual visit. If that turns out to be impossible, then my husband may have to go without me. We've recently eliminated Coimbra after discussions with people who have firsthand knowledge and replaced it with smaller, less-visited towns in the Algarve. The only thing I know for sure is that the north is too wet and too cool for me when there are drier and warmer places to be found. (All of Portugal gets more rain than my hometown, but my hometown and the communities around it now have a combined population of just under 4 million people -- too big for my liking and far too expensive.) 

We were in Seattle - speaking of wet and cold.  To be fair, the summers have been very nice in recent years, but a few years back we had a winter stretch where it rained every day for four months.  At that time I formed a desire to move to California, and found some areas somewhere near Palm Springs where the real estate was at the time really not that expensive, and the weather was very warm, sunny and dry.

Maybe a little too warm and dry, which is part of why it isn't so crowded around there.  I like the coast - Santa Barbara down to San Diego - and inland to Ojai etc.  But as you mentioned, very expensive, and the recent work-from-home trend has just boosted prices out of the city centers.  So ... real estate values ... if you spend a million on a place in southern California, will you recover that asset when you sell it in 10 years?  30 years?  Where is that area going, in the long term?  I'd say "dust bowl."  Do people there know more than I do about it, or do they just not care?

Well, forget that, here we are in Portugal.  The last couple of winters, part of my yard has been standing water for months, because it's a low lying spot with no real exit and heavy clay soil, so I'm getting set up to drain it and save the water for summer ... and now we seem to have a drought.  We had some heavy rain last month and that's it.  The seasonal stream down down the hill is dry.  If the coming months don't make up for it, there will be some very low reservoirs, and it isn't the first time in recent years.  Not to mention the forest fires.

This last summer, Faro put on water restrictions.  It will be interesting to see, when you come around next spring, how their situation is looking.  You're used to this sort of thing, but I'm really talking about semi long term.

We're in a more extreme area 20-30 km inland.  Thin ice on the water in the mornings recently -- but sunny days in the 60s F.  I'm down to my t-shirt.  We get rain, we get cold, but where I think it hurts here, is indoors.  Typical construction uses thermal mass to maintain diurnal average temperature, for a win in the summer but a loss in the winter, and inadequate central heating is all too common.  Outside, I think I may appreciate days like this more because they aren't guaranteed during the winter.  I'd be interested to hear from people who came looking for sun and ended up somewhere like Porto or Braga that isn't the very sunniest spot in this small country.

@donn25

That's interesting. We are only 30 minutes south on the A8 and we didn't have any very low temperatures (<3 - 5 C) this year. While I think that we are lucky with our apartment with central heating and super good sun exposure, I agree that many homes in Portugal I know are very cold and humid in winter. Even some apartment in the town center only have a fireplace. Considering that there is hardly a rental apartment available below 1000 EUR per month these day, I would not consider Portugal as a preferred destination if one is on a budget. Ten years ago the situation was completely different.

You would choke if you knew what our house will rent for in San Diego… We don’t plan to sell. It’s paid for and will give us a nice income even after all the taxes. $1000 only gets a room with shared access to a kitchen and bathroom here, maybe.We bought our first home here in 1983, and kept trading up, and then down-sized 15 years go when our daughter left home. I don’t know how anybody buys anymore…. Fire and drought are familiar issues, especially where we are (about 5 miles inland), but our fire district has been amazing at protecting us for the last 10 years.

You would choke if you knew what our house will rent for in San Diego… We don’t plan to sell. It’s paid for and will give us a nice income even after all the taxes. $1000 only gets a room with shared access to a kitchen and bathroom here, maybe.We bought our first home here in 1983, and kept trading up, and then down-sized 15 years go when our daughter left home. I don’t know how anybody buys anymore…. Fire and drought are familiar issues, especially where we are (about 5 miles inland), but our fire district has been amazing at protecting us for the last 10 years. - @gwalks

Hi,

As you probably know Portugal is a relatively poor country as in per capita income, expats boasting what their properties are "worth" and how much money they "make" and continually doing comparisons with "back home" is not a good look if you are going to live here. The vast majority of the population would probably be ecstatic in have had the opportunities you have.  Maybe you don't realise but in that short paragraph you would probably ostracized many and it is the main reason why locals do not welcome or engage with SOME expats. Firepeople here are often volunteers and not waged so, in my local town,  have to resort to collecting money from from traffic on a roundabout near the fire station.

@donn25

Thank you, Donn25, for your detailed information about Portugal and several of its cities. We, too, are thinking about living outside the US, and Portugal might be the right destination for us. We live in Colorado and have lived in snowy climates for more than 70 years. We're tired of the snow and all its issues with driving and shoveling. We're getting too old for that. We prefer a dry climate but not too hot. I'd like to have one or two seasons of clothing instead of six-rain, mud, snow, heat, cool, and wind. Here in CO, the winds are atrocious and hurricane-force at times. It's devastating to plants and outdoor furniture.

We are planning to visit Portugal and Spain in May or June 2025. I'm taking note of the communities you've mentioned. Thanks for mentioning mosquitoes. We are initially from New England and don't miss mosquitoes at all. I don't know if we want to live with those pests again.

You didn't mention snakes? Are there any poisoinous ones there?

Well, technically, yes, there's one poisonous snake I'm aware of, and I've actually seen one.  But you'd kind of have to force it to chew on you, I don't think they're a worry at all.

I dug up some maps of mosquito reports, and I get the impression there are many species and they're found all over the country.  I don't know New England, but I've heard stories, and I doubt it's like that anywhere.  I had very low quality information on bad spots, but it might make sense to steer clear of rice growing regions or other areas with a lot of shallow water.

Weather here is sure to be more mellow than Colorado, and guaranteed snow free, but it can get hot.  I have a couple sets of old climate maps from IPMA, and they tell a pretty simple tale:  moderate on the Atlantic coast north of Lisbon, hot interior, super hot at the southeast interior.  Average daily max for August 2019 ranges from 22 to 34 C - which may not sound like much, but bear in mind it's an average.  If average high was 34 in Evora, the high end was certainly in the 40s.  (On the other hand, if Caldas da Rainha was 24 average, then there were probably August days where it didn't even get to room temperature, though the range of variation is also going to be a lot smaller here.)  40 C == 104 F.

... and, to be clear, I don't really know what I'm talking about.  Been here for a couple years, hardly ever venturing outside my little town.  I'm comfortable spouting this nonsense because gwalks is obviously doing her own investigation and making her own plans on what sounds like a sensible basis.

@Strontium

I did not mean to offend. I think it is a horrible and unfair thing that I want to escape. I want to live in a society where we can live together and work together, and where I can be a contributing member. I expect to live simply, as I always have done (my parents were married during WWII and had an ethic shaped by it that was passed on to me). Thank you for pointing out how my words could be taken by others — it’s important for me to learn before I arrive.

@donn25

Thank you for this information. I worry a bit about snakes because I'm a gardener. I love working outside in the garden and have surprised many garden snakes here (or maybe I should say they surprised me!).

Mosquitoes are the size of hummingbirds in New England (some exaggeration), and we do want to stay away from any locale that has them. We've had our share of bites. My guess is that they're probably more in the tree regions or as you said, rice regions with shallow water.

I certainly would be thrilled to get rid of all the extra clothing, hats, shoes/boots that I currently have  and resign myself to one or two 'seasons.' I want to live more simply and carefree.

Do people over there drive golf carts around instead of cars? It would be nice to use a golf cart for shopping instead of a car.

You won't be going shopping in a golf cart.  If you aren't putting me on - you should pick a likely spot and spend some time visiting.

I haven't seen a lot of snakes at all, really, and one of them was actually a lizard ("glass snake" is a legless lizard that's somewhat common in my area) but they're here.  Mosquitoes are really all over, but there could be mosquito free pockets here and there.  Breezy coastal area with sandy soils, maybe.  Don't make any assumptions, though.  You need a reliable local source of information, if it matters.

Note that Portugal is not an English speaking country.  I expect gwalks' hour a day studying the language will work for her, but it isn't as easy for everyone.

@donn25
Thank you for this information. I worry a bit about snakes because I'm a gardener. I love working outside in the garden and have surprised many garden snakes here (or maybe I should say they surprised me!).
Mosquitoes are the size of hummingbirds in New England (some exaggeration), and we do want to stay away from any locale that has them. We've had our share of bites. My guess is that they're probably more in the tree regions or as you said, rice regions with shallow water.

I certainly would be thrilled to get rid of all the extra clothing, hats, shoes/boots that I currently have and resign myself to one or two 'seasons.' I want to live more simply and carefree.

Do people over there drive golf carts around instead of cars? It would be nice to use a golf cart for shopping instead of a car. - @sandyjames294

Hi,

It;s not useful to compare one thing at a time with wherever you are presently as EVERYTHING here will be different so you will not understand the context. Dangerous caterpillars? There is such as thing as walking to the shops locally or even taking a bus to go shopping in town, slightly remotely here there;s a baker's van honking it's presence every morning so step into the road and get hot fresh baked rolls etc and evenings a small lorry does the same with fresh fruit and veg.

As others have said the only way to understand stuff here is by spending time here, in different places at different times of year. There is no interweb substitute or short cut to this as whatever others experiences and circumstances and opinions are they will not be the same as yours.

Good Luck

@donn25 Thank you for this information. I worry a bit about snakes because I'm a gardener. I love working outside in the garden and have surprised many garden snakes here (or maybe I should say they surprised me!). Mosquitoes are the size of hummingbirds in New England (some exaggeration), and we do want to stay away from any locale that has them. We've had our share of bites. My guess is that they're probably more in the tree regions or as you said, rice regions with shallow water. I certainly would be thrilled to get rid of all the extra clothing, hats, shoes/boots that I currently have and resign myself to one or two 'seasons.' I want to live more simply and carefree. Do people over there drive golf carts around instead of cars? It would be nice to use a golf cart for shopping instead of a car. - @sandyjames294

I wouldn't worry to much about snakes, they avoid humans and when they do hunt it's at night. Sure they are some venomous, but nothing like you find in America, Australia that are highly venomous and can kill in a matter of minutes.

Read up on them here:

https://withportugal.com/en/blog/especies-perigosas

Mosquitoes are all over Europe, normally found by or near water. You just buy a repellent from the pharmacy.

@donn25

yep... Lourinha is indeed windy... not so much the town itself, but anywhere else around ( in the villages sitting on hills around Lourinha) , is indeed windy ( very windy )... that the price to pay when you want to live close to the wild Atlantic with its north sore winds .

I really appreciate how generous people are with answering questions.  I am learning a great deal by reading all the comments here and on other posts.  Thank you.

@donn25

Here in Tomar at the local high school, Jacome Ratton, they offer a language course for expats. Started back in October and ends in May. 2 classes of 3 hrs ea, per week, you only pay the insurance, that's 8Euros. They offer language courses every year.

@donn25
Here in Tomar at the local high school, Jacome Ratton, they offer a language course for expats. Started back in October and ends in May. 2 classes of 3 hrs ea, per week, you only pay the insurance, that's 8Euros. They offer language courses every year. - @Santi2

Language is the only (very low A2) hurdle to a Portuguese passport. That's one reason why so many foreigners are coming to Portugal. In a quite predictable period of time and with relatively little language skills one can "buy" an EU passport. It is big business, and Portugal is a beautiful place to be, if and when your income is from outside Portugal.

@TGCampo

If you don't master the language, however, you're doomed to live in a language ghetto and you'll forever depend on paid helpers or more skilled friends in daily dealings. Honestly, I find it deplorable that some expats only manage to say "bom dia" after  having lived  here for 10 or 15 years. What a miserable life!

@TGCampoIf you don't master the language, however, you're doomed to live in a language ghetto and you'll forever depend on paid helpers or more skilled friends in daily dealings. Honestly, I find it deplorable that some expats only manage to say "bom dia" after having lived here for 10 or 15 years. What a miserable life! - @Santi2

I totally agree with you. You don't need to master the language completely, but having a basic conversation is essential. For many reasons, including for your own benefit.  Many public secondary schools and town halls offer Portuguese classes for adults for non native, and almost free of charge. So you only need to find out one...

@TGCampoIf you don't master the language, however, you're doomed to live in a language ghetto and you'll forever depend on paid helpers or more skilled friends in daily dealings. Honestly, I find it deplorable that some expats only manage to say "bom dia" after having lived here for 10 or 15 years. What a miserable life!  - @Santi2
I totally agree with you. You don't need to master the language completely, but having a basic conversation is essential. For many reasons, including for your own benefit. Many public secondary schools and town halls offer Portuguese classes for adults for non native, and almost free of charge. So you only need to find out one... - @JohnnyPT

I agree with JohnnyPT. An A2 level plus our modern technologies make life in Portugal much easier. But I know many expats in Portugal that only know the more educated local population or other expats. They get along with English or French. The big "however" for me is work. To work in Portugal I assume Portuguese on a high level (B2 - C) essential.

@gwalks

I'm late to this thread but perhaps our perspective may be useful.

My wife and I have been transitioning from Austin to Portugal for the past year. I too am a retiring physician looking forward to a more pleasant environment (in many ways...).  Our main goal was to find a quiet, temperate, coastal community that was primarily Portuguese, and we wanted to be within an hour driving distance of an international Airport (Lisboa, Porto, Faro). I mean no offense to anyone who lives in these beautiful communities but am sharing our perspective and decision-making, realizing that each person has a unique idea of what may be best for them.

We considered the Algarve which is beautiful and much warmer (almost too hot in May), but did not like how developed it was in terms of tall buildings and development, with a heavy touristy feel in the warmer months, and an essentially shut down community in the off-season. The only town we would've considered in the Algarve is Tavira, which has a much more local and less touristy/ex-pat feel.

We have visited Porto which is stunning but too wet and cool for us in the winter.

We also considered the Silver Coast which is where we have settled. Our primary reasons included, proximity to Lisbon, moderate climate in the winter, not too hot in the summer, access to ex-pats without living in an overwhelmingly ex-pat community, and numerous opportunities to volunteer and joint service organizations. We considered Nazare ( too touristy and crowded for us), Peniche (lovely but with climate change projections for sea rise there are potential implications for the Peninsula to e come cut-off), Figueira da Foz, (long, lovely beach but two hours away from Lisbon). We also considered many lovely small seaside villages.

Ultimately, we chose Foz do Arelho because of the stunning beauty of the Obidos Lagoon, which allows us to be able to enjoy water sports more suitable to our abilities, and more suitable for when our grandkids visit( the Atlantic surf was too rough for us in most areas). The advantages of Foz, are that it was a small community of about 1500 people, has a strong Portuguese feel, is very close to Caldas da Rainha, a medium-size city of 50,000 with many amenities, such as many restaurants, stores, grocery stores, and a daily fresh food market to name a few.

The great news is that there are so many options and opportunities, each can find what suits them. Hopefully our perspective can help.

We are currently back in Austin but will be going back home to Foz do Arelho in March. If you like, we are happy to meet you and show you around our neck of the woods when you visit.

BTW- you will be blown away by the quality and cost (in a good way) by the healthcare in Portugal.

Good luck on your search and transition and congratulations on your up-coming retirement!

Thank you for the interesting comment.

I find it fun and interesting each person's path to their own happiness.

I'll be on the silver coast for most of March and would enjoy meeting you and learning more about your adventure.

I'm looking at moving to the silver coast as well and would like to get your opinions on the different places you have considered.

Thank you from the Great White North  (Canada), John

@johnperrin15

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