# 1 year in Portugal



## Geoffp

Hello everyone

We are currently in Cornwall and plans are under way to travel for 1 year with a view to finding somewhere new to live ( hopefully southern ish Portugal) . 
Ideally buy piece of land for us to move our motorhome onto and start from there. It would be great to be around areas where we can find work and there are other families doing or have done similar.
We are a family of 4 children under 16 so it is important we find friends for the kids as well. 
We all need to learn the language 
We are not looking to be rich, just comfortable, more life outside and in the sunshine more.

Can anyone with experience please suggest possible areas for us to explore to find something alike above. 

Cheers Geoff


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## Geoffp

We are a family of 4 , 2 children  , not 4 children .

Any recommend villages, towns or areas. We have friends in Baron de Sao Miguel. We have visited them a couple of times . 
We have a year to explore , if we can not find any where then maybe return to U.K.


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## KW85

Hi Geoff, 

I've just moved out here from London, with my partner. We bought a piece of land near Porto Covo, South of Sines.

We've put our camper on to start and are building some temporary structures for more comfort whilst we wait to hear back from the local council etc.

Hopefully will be building a home in the future with some tourism accommodation and run a small farm.

We've met some lovely people so far. So friendly and helpful. 

We are trying to find a Portuguese language teacher for some lessons.

The weather is great at the moment. Will see how that changes of the next few months!

I think the areas from Santiago do Cacem down to Aljezur look lovely. We are still exploring more though. But in general I think the coastal Alentejo has some great spots with big enough populations to keep schools going etc.


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## FabioVasques

Hello!

I guess the best for you is Luz (Lagos) or Carvoeiro/Ferragudo.
Really nice places to live


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## Geoffp

So we travelled for 6 months in our van. We covered lots of Spain. Eco Project( a scam really) in Portugal and around the Lagos area of Portugal. We just could not make the move work for us at the time. It was a great experience. We are now back in the UK .


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## travelling-man

The problem with a question like that is everyone is going to tell you their part of Portugal is the best.......... Because it is for them. 

Portugal is (to steal the title from a certain African ex-paradise) the world in one country & it has everything from ultra touristy beaches complete with English pubs, fish n chip shops & kiss me kwik hats to bustling cities to (occasional) snowy mountain tops to bubbling trout streams, river beaches, sleepy villages & Knights Templar castles so you really need to make a wish list of what you like & then ask for suggestions of area that fits your criteria.


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## Strontium

Geoffp said:


> So we travelled for 6 months in our van. We covered lots of Spain. Eco Project( a scam really) in Portugal and around the Lagos area of Portugal. We just could not make the move work for us at the time. It was a great experience. We are now back in the UK .


Like it says some where most of the replies (on here) are from people who have made their home in Portugal so will stress the positive points of their chosen location. Would you write a longer post about your experiences so help give a more balanced view for those seeking information?


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## Geoffp

In March 2017 we sold our house and a lot of our stuff. Stored some stuff and then headed in our campervan to Europe.
We had a reasonable sum of money and had a plan to maybe find somewhere new to live or if not to travel for as long as possible and then return back to England. 


The holiday period of our travel lasted about 12 -13 weeks and then we grew weary of holiday mode and then focused on living mode. 


We travelled much of Spain, nearly set up in Moraira . Could have started work with a builder, rented a place and gone from there. Yet it did not fit what we really wanted to do. 

So we travelled Spain a bit more, looking as we went.

One day while in Valencia we decided to go to Portugal. A Eco type place in the Alentejo was advertising for people to come and live on their land and enjoy the fruits of living off grid, Eco etc etc .
We contacted the people, received details and expectations of the Eco project and decided we liked the idea and would go on a trial basis. So we crossed from Valencia to the east cost of Portugal in about 3 days. 

Spending time at the Eco project was some of the best days we had on our travels. Everyone in the family was doing things to help, be it weeding , watering, animals, making a bench, or cooking for people, swimming etc. It was a good experience for us and we meet some good people. To sit round a table with people from different countries and chat and socialise was good for us and the kids and hopefully them to. As we stayed it became obvious that something was not right at the house. Things just did not fit. We stayed for 4 days and then decided to leave. We later found out that it was a possible scam for the owners to gain money for land from potential dreamers (like us I guess) . A shame as the Alentejo and the location was great. We were never asked for money or such. We got on ok with the owners and thought them to be ok.



Lizzys-haven-save-the-animals -Salvar-Os-Animais

The link above is the place we went and the page reveals all. facebook link

So we then headed to Lagos and Boa Sao Miguel, where we have friends who have been living there for 12 -13 years . 
We thought we might like to live on land around there . It was a great area, people living , growing food, a community, a little piece of paradise in places. Yet living on the Rustic land is not legal. We talked with a Portuguese solicitor who had land for sale. Who also told us it was not legal to live on the land. There are various loop holes and possibilities, buy the land, work it, stay for a bit and travel for a bit then come back. rent a house, get in with Portuguese communities and live Portugal. According to the solicitor the people living on land to not become part of the Portuguese community and the Portuguese are not ecstatic about the law being ignored. People ignore the law basically which did not work for us . So we opted out of Rustic land. Urban land was more expensive when we looked into that. 
We met a few people doing the same as us on our travels who have come across the same situations and also did not want to buy land and live on illegally . Though some did want to and were aiming for it.
While this is all happening our kids were missing home and the heat was getting to us living in a motorhome. We found out independent schools were around £6000 a year and a big waiting list. Portugal school was not really an option as the kids were 12 and 10 , did not feel right to send them to different language school at their age. We thought we could camp some where cheap and build up a business , I am an electrician and through the various people I met it became apparent that there could be work for me. Just going to take time to get known and get set up. 
Time, heat, decisions, kids, money, language, relationship pressure ..... There was a lot going on in our heads at that time. Should we set up here and go through a system that is easier to do at home, why did we leave , what were our aims and goals . 


We asked originally where people thought we should go, any suggestion on a good place in Portugal. I guess to try and get a heads up of some kind. Or even some options from others experience. In the end it was always our decision and we liked so much of what we found ,yet found little we could relax and get used to. When we tried to start living the pressures of being a parent, a friend , a teacher , a guide for our kids was huge. We could not be all, just not in us. We also felt we were not contributing to the world or to ourselves, just wandering nomads. Our Portugal friends said we did not really try and to an extent they are right. We did not get a fixed point and try to move forward in a live here direction. It was all to overwhelming for us really. 
So we came back to England. 

A lot learnt about us and Europe and what you miss and dont miss. What had and what we dont have. 
I would not change the experience. 
We are ok now we are back, set up again, we did not spend all our money, we are working the kids in school. Back to English ways really 

of course it can be done to live in another country in many ways. it is just like starting back here in England. it takes time and effort. Giving up of some things that are comfortable and that are familiar, for the uncomfortable and unfamiliar . But only for a duration of time, till it becomes comfortable and familiar . If we had bedded down and lived day by day, sorting out what was needed, rather that thinking to far into the future and trying to sort out the what ifs and maybe's. Then maybe it could have worked, it is certainly possible. 12 years ago without the responsibility of children it would have been easier for sure. 

Episode 4 on all 4 here is a Portugal move and these folks did it

Our wildest dreams - on all 4

if any one wants to pick our brains of what we did please do ask, if we can share our experience to help we will..

cheers

Geoff


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## Geoffp

I cant post links yet , when I can I will to the Eco palce


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## Geoffp

The ECO project
xxxx DELETED xxxx




The Portugal program on all 4

Our Wildest Dreams - All 4


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## Strontium

Brilliant. I'll have a few copies of your travel book when you have written it.


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## JohnBoy

Geoffp - Your kids are very lucky. Lucky to have shared the experience and very lucky to have you as parents to guide them through life. I wish you all the very best in whatever and wherever you choose.


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## Geoffp

JohnBoy said:


> Geoffp - Your kids are very lucky. Lucky to have shared the experience and very lucky to have you as parents to guide them through life. I wish you all the very best in whatever and wherever you choose.


Thank you for your kind words.

I wish you well also. 

Geoff


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## Geoffp

*Rustic land*

One of the options we had to live in Portugal was to buy Rustic land and live on it as many people have been doing for years.
We looked in the Barao valley and it is beautiful yet it did not seam right to just ignor the rules.

The link below is to news of what the local council is now doing about people living on Rustic land.
A few months old now , so not sure what is happening now, not seen any updates.


Expat families mobilise against bombshell threat of eviction in western Algarve | Portugal Resident


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## JohnBoy

The author of the piece, Natasha Donn, has given her email address at the end of the article. Perhaps an email to her would get you the update that you are looking for.


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## pjn

Geoff, I applaud your effort, as I know it was a huge deal to pick up and move your life like that, especially with kids. I just started to consider retiring abroad (am from the U.S.) so I joined this forum and yours was the 1st experience I read. Glad you and your family are back home and settled. Have a lovely holiday. 

Pam


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