5 advantages of living in Portugal least known by expats

Even though I love my home country, France, I chose to move out to live and build my family in Portugal. I did this for many reasons: quality of life, sun, beach, security, the feeling of warmth and being welcome by the locals, lifestyle…the list is long! By the way, most people who come to live in Portugal do so for those reasons which seem relatively obvious.

For me, that was “enough” to choose this destination for my new life. And I have been delighted to discover that there was more that Portugal could offer! So today, I wanted to share with you some of those advantages of living in Portugal that are less known by people who do not live in Portugal.

1. Fluency of foreign languages (especially English)

Being a proper French girl, when my husband and I moved to England 4 years ago (before heading to Portugal), my English was more than basic. Yes, I have to admit that in general French people tend to have a few difficulties with foreign languages. Studies have highlighted that when English speaking levels is assessed at a global scale, France ranks 29th and Portugal ranks 15th out of 70 countries.

I was really impressed by how fluent Portuguese people where when speaking English. Their level of English is more than good, and they barely have any accent. After discussing with several Portuguese people I understood that movies in Portugal are watched in English with subtitles, so people are used to hearing English from a young age and frequently. It is a real asset for the Portuguese people knowing that in today’s world it is a must to speak this international language. English is mostly spoken by the younger generations, and you will also meet many Portuguese people who speak a bit of French. For your information, 42% of Portuguese master a foreign language.

So I think we shall raise our thumbs up to the Portuguese people for their ease and level of mastery on foreign languages. I decided that when I will have kids, they will be watching movies in English with Portuguese subtitles 😉

I must confess that when I can’t find my words in Portuguese (I am still learning), I allow myself to use a few words in English (sometimes even a bit more…) and it is pleasant to see that Portuguese people respond kindly and adapt well, looking to help me as much as possible to communicate easily.

Personal goal for this year: hold an entire conversation in Portuguese!

2. Modern technology and infrastructures

Portugal used to be the epicentre of ambitious expeditions to conquer the world and to discover new cultures. Portuguese people represent the pioneers of the big discoveries of the 15th and 16th century. What about nowadays? Do they still have this ambition within them? Happy to acknowledge they do! It is not  without a reason that the 2016 and 2017 Web Summit are hosted in Lisbon. Could Portugal be becoming the new innovation centre of Europe?

Let me answer by sharing a few of my experiences:

• ​I was positively surprised to discover the banking system in Portugal. ATM is a unique system that enables you to consult your various accounts electronically, to make payments online, to pay your taxes from your phone, to make money transfers or even to purchase train tickets from a single device. So user friendly and efficient, you are going to love it!

• ​Portuguese people also use MB WAY, a special smartphone app launched by SIBS which allows them to pay their expenses and make money transfers between several banks. I have just downloaded the app and did not try it yet but apparently it is really popular.

• Have you heard about a solution called “Via Verde”?It was originally launched in 1991 by Brisa, a Portuguese business that manages 15 highways, and it has become a real success and an international model which has by the way been expanded to the whole country.

It is a small device located on the top of your car front window that allows you to pay tolls automatically and therefore to avoid long lines and beat the traffic. Via verde was further enhanced with the inclusion of parking payments, gas stations, ferrys, and even the McDonald’s drive in! A real time saver in our busy lives between work, family, and our hobbies…big thanks to the Portuguese entrepreneurs for making our lives easier 🙂

• In Portugal, it is really easy to get access to internet, you can find Wifi anywhere (or almost): restaurants, cafés, commercial centres…imagine how shocked I was when I got back to France looking for an internent connection: no patisserie, no restaurant would offer Wifi…the only single place I could find was…MacDonald, and I am not a big fan of that place :/

• Moreover in Portugal, optic fibre is well serviced across the country, so you will benefit from a high speed internet: useful to get on FaceTime with your family back home!

• Portuguese people are relatively quiet and yet they are creating some many nice innovations to improve day to day life. While writing this article I made a bit of research and I realised how many Portuguese businesses were helping the world to become a better place, developing innovative technologies for the environment.

Did you know that Microsoft decided to base their Language Development Centre in Portugal? Did you know that EDP, the energy provider in Portugal, is the 4th largest player in wind power and of the biggest player of the energy business within the Iberian peninsula?  Or did you know that AJLobo/Open Renewables (Portuguese company) is a global reference for solar energy and has one of the largest photovoltaic centre in the world?

…well, now you know:)

^ème

3. One culture full of history, traditions, and lots of entertainment

Did you know that England and Portugal have been allies within Europe for hundreds of year? And that French and Portuguese share some roots? Indeed, duc Henry de Bourgogne, French, married Thérèse de Léon and became the first count of Portugal. Portugal is part of France’s history as France is part of Portugal’s history.

Portugal offers a wealth of culture, religious celebrations and sport events.

In Portugal there is one thing for sure: you can never get bored, there is so much to do and so many places to visit! Portugal possesses 14 sites registered at UNESCO such as the cultural landscape of Sintra, Porto’s historic centre, Luiz I bridge and the Serra do Pilar or Hiéronymites monasteries, without forgetting of the famous Belém tower and April 25th bridge and Cristo Rei statue in Lisbonne…

At the moment it is the carnaval period, in Portugal it is a sacred moment! This is a time of celebration, which gathers all ages for a good moment. My husband and I had the chance to participate to the carnaval of Sesimbra a few years ago and even if the sun was not present that day, I can guarantee you that the music, the dance, and the costumes kept us warm and happy!

Besides that, summer in Portugal is filled with festivals and parties of all types which are great opportunities to discover the culture, to meet with locals, to share, to sing, to dance, to laugh…There is so much to say: Festa de Saint Antonio, Festa de Sao Joao… Please comment and share about your favourite celebration time in Portugal 🙂

Obviously we shall not forget to mention the many sports events and football! As we all know, Portuguese and football are one 😉 We will certainly go watch a football game in one of the big stadium (probably Benfica), the ambiance must be really amazing. Last year we were in Costa da Caparica during the Euro championship, there was a big screen outdoor near the beach, every thing was well arranged: tables, chairs, food, drinks and great vibe! Great memories for sure, with high energy and positivity!

It is easy and quick to travel through the country from North to South and from East to West. From Lisbon, you are only at about 3 hours drive from Porto  and 2h30 from the Algarve. It is quite common to do a round trip to the Algarve from Lisbon in a day or a week end, and you can stay for a night using Air BnB or an affordable hotel quite easily. I still have so much to discover, it is really exciting 🙂 Coming up next: Sintra, Lagos, Albufeira…and so many others! I am quite curious and keen to read your recommendations, so please leave me a note below! Thanks 🙂

4. An easy, free and beautiful life

Portugal is a country that retained its authenticity and maintained its charm and its traditional values. It is easy to feel good in Portugal, here I live a life that helps me to “let go” and to enjoy the simple moments of life, I feel more free here!

Why? Restaurants are open all day long (even in non-touristic areas), shops are open 7 days a week, and the rythme of life is much more flexible…This flexibility is augmented by a climate which emphasises a good mood, an openness to exchange positive energy and to be open to meet new friends and communities.

I spend more time outside than inside…what a pleasure to enjoy a barbecue when going back home, sitting on the terrasse outside watching the sun go down while sipping on a small Porto wine or Moscatel 😉 I live outside and that is really pleasant.

The warm and generous sense of hospitality from the Portuguese people makes a considerable difference to help me feeling good here. I may confess that sometimes when meeting locals for the first time I may feel a bit intimidated, they can even seem a bit cold and rude, but that is clearly just an impression and I am always amazed about the opens and friendliness with which people welcome me and greet me when I start talking with them. I am from Alsace in France, which is also a region where people have a strong character and can sometimes come across as a bit intimidating, but like Portuguese they have a huge heart and it is worth making a first step to get to know them. People will surely agree: Portuguese people are caring about the well-being of other people and do everything they can to make them to feel good and comfortable.

Together with my husband we bought our house as part of a new construction project of 10 houses. We are the only expats and we felt really welcome by our neighbours. Not only did our neighbours support us when we moved in, but also the constructors, the real estate agent, the cashier from our local shop, the local bakery lady and many others! In general, Portuguese people will help you when they can. Of course we also encountered some bad surprises and difficult moments with people with bad intentions, but this can be found anywhere I guess. For sure it is preferable to surround yourself with good professionals you can trust when you move in here for the first time.

Our very first “neighbours party” !

5. A healthy and affordable living

Just like a typical woman, I enjoy nice desserts and pretty clothes, so let me finish this article with Portuguese gastronomie which equals generous portions, fresh ingredients (tomatoes are delightful here) and all this at a very affordable price.

As a big fan of fresh grilled fish and vegetables, I am in the right place here in Portugal, especially in the South of Lisbon in Aroeira, where I live. Eating good food is good for us, so how not to live a healthy life in Portugal, I am asking you? Together with this meal, you can add a very nice starter called “queijo fresco” (it is a type of fresh cheese) or some seafood, or even grilled chorizo together with a glass of “Vinho Verde” or nice fresh and bubbly “Sangria branca” in the Portuguese way. And for dessert? a « bolo de bolacha », an « arroz doce » or even a « baba de camelo »…such a wide variety of choices, often made from eggs and cream.

All this made me feel quite hungry, not you? Ah yes and I almost forgot to mention the many many small cafés in Portugal where you can delight yourself with so many types of pastries: « Pao de Deus », « Pasteis de Nata », « Bolo de Berlim »…And so on, it begins to be a little less healthy with the full menu but after all, we deserve to enjoy ourselves from time to time don’t we?

Talking about enjoyment, life here is not only more affordable in restaurants, but also:

• for transports (ideal for those who like to travel like me)
• real estate (ideal for people who either want to invest or live in their own property)
• cosmetics and beauty care (ideal for the coquettes and also for these men who take better and better care of themselves)
• not forgetting the tax advantages, but that is a whole other subject which I will talk about in a future article!

In summary :

John DoeUI/UX Designer

A country where people speak the language of their guests, always keen to discover and innovate, who take action to build a more open and connected world, always available to get to know new people, new things, always seeking to learn more and to do better

Please click on « Like » and share my article to make your friends enjoy it too. I am looking forward to reading from you through your comments and to learn more and more about Portugal 🙂

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