Newby couple.

Hi  @jeffwhorrocks, Welcome.

To help you narrow down where to look and how to approach the process at this stage, here is a breakdown of regions:

A. Minho & Lima Valley (Far North)

Towns to look at: Ponte de Lima, Viana do Castelo, Caminha.

The Vibe: Exceptionally green, historic, and picturesque with a slightly cooler, gentler summer. Ponte de Lima is famous for flat river walks, excellent food, and welcoming locals.

Property: Excellent value for standalone single-storey houses with lovely mature gardens.

Eg.

Expats in Ponte de Lima & surrondings

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gQm1_KRaDMY

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5x-mV7Hvh9Y

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l57ay7sPe_Q

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LCeK7HAzT4g

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vXJHkY84-ds

...

B. Central-North / Minho Core

Towns to look at: Braga outskirts, Guimarães, Barcelos.

The Vibe: Braga and Guimarães offer deep history, top-tier hospital infrastructure, and vibrant town centres. Living 10–15 minutes outside the main urban core gives you peaceful countryside and quick access to major health hubs and shopping.

Eg. Braga

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=45obOzrQuME

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GKlwwriaeZE

...

C. Silver Coast & Central Coast

Towns to look at: Aveiro outskirts, Ílhavo, Figueira da Foz, or inland near Coimbra.

The Vibe: Slightly milder winters than the far north, flat coastal terrain (easy for walking), and very well connected by rail and motorways to Porto.

Eg.

You can subscribe these channels and see + videos from these two lovely retired british couples

https://m.youtube.com/@GoodHereIsntIt-Portugal

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aT8-mXQ0ojA&t=874s

https://m.youtube.com/@changeofplanportugal

...

Because you hold UK passports, moving to Portugal now requires a residence visa. For retirees, the standard and most straightforward path is the D7 Visa (Passive Income Visa).  You must show a minimum stable passive income (such as state/private pensions, annuities, or rental yield). For a couple, the baseline target is ~€1,350 to €1,400 per month in total passive income, backed by some savings in a Portuguese bank account. 

If you have any further questions, please post them in this thread. There’s no need to start a new one.

Kind regards

@JohnnyPT

Thanks for that. Useful to know about areas.

@jeffwhorrocks

Thanks for that.

I've been in Ponte de Lima for about a year.  If you have questions about the process or the north, feel free to ask here or send me a private message.  I don't check these boards very often, but I think I'll be notified if you reply to this or send me a PM.  I've spent a lot of time exploring Braga, Viana do Castelo, Ponte da Barco, Arcos de Valdevez, and other places in the area.  I love it here, and after a year+ of renting we've decided to buy a house as well.  I can send you the name of my real estate agent if you'd like, but your best bet is to go to idealista and put in your search criteria to see what's available.  If you decide to live this far north, one of the biggest decisions you make when either renting or buying is whether you want somewhere with a view of the valley or if you want to be able to walk to one of the larger towns.  It's difficult (and very expensive) to have both!  We've lived in an area with views for the past year, and decided that we value being able to walk to Ponte de Lima more than we value a view of the valley, but many of our friends here made the other decision. 

Boa sorte!

Thanks for that. All depends on cost, of course, so searching property and researching ways and means.