By George Hobica, Tribune News Service
“Why is everyone going to Portugal?” my friend Justin asked when I told him I was going there for a visit.
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People travel for many reasons, but visiting friends and relatives (VFR in industry-speak) is one of the largest and most resilient segments of the travel industry. Travelers spend over $400 billion a year doing it.
And it was the primary reason for my trip to Portugal. I’d been promising to visit my friend Bill, who had became an “everyone” like thousands of Americans in recent years who have relocated to the coastal European country.
I also planned to visit my friend John, whom I first met in junior high school more than 50 years ago. He was planning to visit the country with his son, yet another person planning to join “everyone” moving there.
But first I would stop in Boston to visit my sister, whom I hadn’t seen in a while. She was not planning on moving to Portugal, but it happened that TAP Air Portugal was launching a nonstop flight from Boston to Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city after Lisbon. So I booked a seat on the inaugural flight, boarded a plane from my home in New York City, had dinner at the Boston Harbor Hotel with my sis, and then flew to Porto the same night. I thought this would be a perfect way to reconnect with three people I had neglected too long, while also trying to find out why so many people are moving to Portugal (I was genuinely curious).
First, let me make clear that saying “everyone” is going to Portugal is a bit of an exaggeration, but more than 21,000 Americans have moved there, either permanently or as temporary residents, in the last few years. They’re the largest group of transplants, followed by the Chinese. Fifteen percent of the country’s 10.6 million residents are from outside the country.
I had visited Lisbon once, in the 1980s, staying at what is now the Lapa Palace Hotel, then owned by the Orient-Express Hotels group, when it was affordable. Compared to the rest of Europe, Lisbon seemed like it had been left behind in a time warp, with its streets and sidewalks paved with tiny bits of stone and its vintage “elétricos” — the city’s ancient tram lines made from wood and polished brass — weaving through narrow streets — as iconic as San Francisco’s cable cars.
I rarely buy souvenirs, but I was enchanted by Portuguese majolica pottery, hand-painted in vibrant colors and depicting small woodland creatures, plants and flowers. Somehow I managed not to break anything bringing my treasures home.
So there I was again in Portugal, and I was glad to see that not much had changed, other than the influx of Americans and others.
Statistics help explain some of Portugal’s appeal. Something called the Global Peace Index, an annual survey of crime and violence data compiled by the Australia-based Institute for Economics & Peace, ranks Portugal at No. 7, just below Switzerland (the lower rankings means safer). The U.S., however, is at 132, incredibly just ahead of Iran. Portugal’s violent crime rate is one-tenth of the U.S. rate.
The day I arrived, a big soccer match was in town, and it was the last day of national elections (10 political parties are in the national assembly, and citizens can vote online). I have no idea which team or candidate won. The city was quiet. No demonstrations or post-game riots like you’d find in Paris or Philadelphia or Los Angeles or Washington, D.C. There were no roving gangs of disgruntled voters rampaging through the streets or mindless teenagers sacking retail stores just for fun. There was none of this in Porto. No sense that things were about to fall apart.
Then there’s the slower pace, and better work-life balance. The Wall Street Journal reported recently that job listings in the U.S. increasingly stress the importance of working 70 or more hours a week. “If you’re looking for work-life balance,” one job listing states, “this isn’t it.”
And if you’re looking for a stressful life, Portugal isn’t it.
Health care is more affordable, with comprehensive private insurance premiums costing about $1,000 per year (public insurance is free).
English is widely spoken, in part thanks to the long presence, starting in the 16th century, of the English in the production of port wine.
The cost of living in Portugal is 36% less than in the U.S. according to a 2024 survey.
Portugal is “orderly and relaxed.” My friend Bill summed it up when we met over brunch on my next-to-last day in his new country. “Every time I turn around, the Portuguese are off work celebrating another holiday. Meanwhile Americans are lucky to get two weeks off per year working at a job that offers no employment contract, which is standard. There’s no social safety net in the U.S. Portugal has universal health care.”
In Porto I took a walking tour with Bliss Tours (blisstours.pt, $27 per person), led by Porto native Duarte Vieira. I recommend it — and him. When I got back home I texted him to ask what he likes best about his country. He came back, “The weather, the food, but mostly the safe life.” Again the safety thing. Maybe all those ex-pats are moving to Portugal for some peace and quiet.
The thing he liked least? “The low salaries.” Which helps to explain that 36% lower cost of living.
Not ready to move? There’s still a lot to see and do.
Braga Cathedral was begun in the 12th century and today celebrates a range of styles: Romanesque, Baroque, Gothic and others. (George Hobica/TNS/TNS)
Even though I went to see friends and family, in truth the visits were of necessity short and I had lots of free time. For the tourist there are 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Portugal — more per acre than in the U.K. or France. One of them is the historic center of Guimarães, a town a few miles north of Porto. I took a walking tour there. It was a feast for the eyes. Red-tiled roofs, streets and sidewalks paved with tiles known as calçada portuguesa, or Portuguese pavement, made from small pieces of white and black limestone, sometimes of basalt and granite. Narrow winding streets lined with tile-clad houses spanning in age from medieval times to the 19th century, with those cute little trams dating from the 1930s rattling and squealing past.
I visited some churches and cathedrals, of which Portugal has many. Braga Cathedral was started in the 12th century in a mishmash of styles — Romanesque, Baroque, Gothic and others. I was surprised to see so few visitors inside. My guide said that a recent admission charge (all of $2.30) was the reason, but I think it’s just that relatively few people visit Braga compared to other cities in Europe with architectural jewels like this.
And that’s the other thing about Portugal, especially the north where I stayed: it’s not over-touristed compared to much of Europe these days. That said, the very things that make Portugal so attractive to outsiders is making living there more difficult for the Portuguese. The influx of tourists and people seeking residency is driving up housing costs and changing the nature of neighborhoods, in Lisbon especially, as apartments are turned into short-term Airbnb rentals.
Porto is well known for Port wine, although it’s made in the surrounding countryside, with its hills covered in vines, offering many opportunities for tastings. I visited Quinta da Roêda, a vineyard owned by Croft Port, founded in 1588, in the Douro Valley (another World Heritage Site), where I took a cruise on the Douro River with Deltatur (deltatur.pt), a local tour provider offering 16 options starting at $35. Nearby, I took a cooking class at Quinta da Pacheca, a country hotel set amid extensive vineyards.
Port tastings are a popular activity in the Douro Valley. (George Hobica/TNS/TNS)
Also in Porto, I strolled through the Matosinhos Municipal Market, where dozens of vendors sell everything the sea has to offer. It made me wish there was something like that back home. The surrounding restaurants, such as Bistrô by Vila Foz where I dined, are happy to prepare your “catch” to order. I caught some jumbo shrimp, freshly caught not farmed, and huge.
Because Bill was staying there and highly recommended it, on my last night in Porto I checked into the Rosa Et Al (rosaetal.com), a six-suite townhouse hotel where the rooms are decorated with modern and vintage furniture and the daily brunch is a local favorite. It’s also a deli and restaurant; I’ve never stayed anywhere quite like it. A bargain at about $140 per night. Bill took me on a walk of his favorite parts of the city and then dashed off to catch his bus back to Lisbon, two hours away. It was a short visit, but sometimes that’s all you need.
That night I had dinner with John down the street from my hotel, also a short visit. He had just arrived in Porto and was hungry, but it was 10 p.m. and I wondered if anything was open. Walking not far we came across O Afonso, where every table was taken but one. As in Spain, people eat late here. We reminisced over a Porto specialty, Francesinhas, which is basically a Portuguese adaptation of the French croque-monsieur: layers of toasted bread and sliced beef, wet-cured ham, linguiça, or chipolata topped with melted cheese and served with a sauce of tomato and beer and fries. After 50 years, our memories had faded along with much else, but by combining what I remembered with what John remembered we were able to piece something together. At the end of the meal we were served a free glass of port wine and the proprietor shook our hands and thanked us for coming. The damage came to $22 per person including tax and service.
The next morning I packed and crossed the garden to the hotel’s living room, where breakfast was supposed to be served, but even at 9 a.m. no one was stirring, so I left (“that’s laid-back Portugal for you!” Bill texted later; they quickly refunded the prepaid $15 charge when I returned home). I was going to take the train to the airport ($3) but a car to the airport cost just $16. The line at border control was long but moved quickly, and the agent wished me a pleasant journey with a smile.
Time goes faster and faster as we get older, and sometimes we put off reconnecting with friends and family too long. It felt really good to see some people who meant something to me. Still, as much as I admire the advantages of living in Portugal, I will not be moving there, not quite yet anyway. But I will be making an effort to do more “VFR” travel. For me, it’s the best reason to leave home.
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