# Sao Martinho do Porto



## mpl379

My wife and I have been living in Lagos for the past two years but would now like to experience the delights of the Silver Coast. We recently visited Sao Martinho do Porto and found it picturesque and interesting. We are hoping to visit again in March to look around for rental properties to spend perhaps a year getting to know the area. We are retired and both suffer from the usual problems of getting older with bits wearing out or not working as well as they used to! Consequently the health service available is of particular importance to us. Does anyone have any comments on the standard of healthcare in SMP? Here in Lagos there always seems to be a shortage of doctors at our Centro de Saude and the only alternative is the private sector but this of course can be a bit expensive. Any other comments about living in SMP would also be appreciated.


----------



## Strontium

Hi, Sao Martinho do Porto, as with other accessible beaches on the Silver coast (most of it is inaccessible rough Atlantic ocean) has two personalities, low season is idyllic with some retail places closed, sandy beaches loads of cheap accommodation. High season is no where to park and difficult to find a bit of sand to sit on. The local services have to encompass both and the difference is dramatic. I'd say don't bother but find somewhere 30Km inland where people live and work then bumble 20 minutes to the beach. Caldas da Rainha!!!


----------



## zakooo

Strontium said:


> Hi, Sao Martinho do Porto, as with other accessible beaches on the Silver coast (most of it is inaccessible rough Atlantic ocean) has two personalities, low season is idyllic with some retail places closed, sandy beaches loads of cheap accommodation. High season is no where to park and difficult to find a bit of sand to sit on. The local services have to encompass both and the difference is dramatic. I'd say don't bother but find somewhere 30Km inland where people live and work then bumble 20 minutes to the beach. Caldas da Rainha!!!


or be like us and live in salir do porto.then you get the best of both worlds.we have an English speaking female doctor who is very good.


----------



## mpl379

Thanks to both of you for your comments. We will be visiting Caldas as well to see what's available for long term rental. With regard to Salir, do you have a health centre there?


----------



## Strontium

Salir is a hill overlooking Martinho do Porto so is outside the congested holiday mass but has the allure of a holiday village. The hospital in Caldas serves this area, as does their shops. market, courts, train station, bus station.


----------



## tzanth

Sorry to hear you're finding bits of your bodies starting to malfunction with older age - same here!

I'd just seoond what one of the other respondents said: you'll get much more house for your money if you live slightly inland. The roads are good and fast and so you'll be able to get to the coast in no time at all. The down side is that not so many people in the country speak English as on the coast, but you can still drive to the coast where more of the Portuguese speak English and get your health check ups. All the best


----------

