Moving to Portugal - several questions :)

Hello chonky_nomad,

Welcome to Expat.com 

Great job for the introduction. 

For a start, I strongly recommend you to read the Living in Portugal guide as there are several instructive articles that will guide you to make your expat project a success.

For accommodation,I would advise you to post an advert in the Housing in Portugal section and you may also check the latest housing adverts posted.

Since you have a lot of specific questions, I will give the floor to our members on the Portugal forum, they will assist you with more details about the expat life in Portugal.

Cheers,

Cheryl
Expat.Com Team.

Since you're in your 30s, the answer depends on what area you work in. If you work online it can be anywhere. If you want to work in commerce and tourism, the Algarve is a possibility. Other activities, North, such as Aveiro, Braga, Porto (Oporto) is a better choice.

The weather in Portugal is generally good. In Alentejo and Algarve is warmer all year round. In the north it rains more and it is cooler, but the weather is not bad.

The coast has excellent beaches from north to south, sea water in the south is warmer than in the north.

Portugal is in the top 3 of the 2019 Global Peace Index, very safe to live in. Nevertheless, much safer in smaller cities, as in most of the countries.

Portugal has a very large expat community, and most live here without coming into contact with crime. Most expats live in the South, Algarve, but you'll also find expats in almost every corner, North, Center, Azores, Madeira and Lisbon area.

1. Warm weather, close to beach, having other expats around... probably Algarve, it includes Lagos and Portimão, but South of Lisbon area, Setúbal, Cascais, Oeiras, can be considered.

2. Crime is low, you can jog/walk almost everywhere, except in some outskirts of the main cities, Lisbon and Porto. But there you won't find expats

3. Portugal is generally a dog-friendly country. Every animal must have a chip identification. Anyone who abandons a dog is punished. Many families have a pet.

4. Lisbon and Cascais coast near the sea is much more expensive. But there are good cities to live in, with necessary lower budgets and a high standard of quality of living, with much more security than Lisbon or even Porto. Try to read more about urban areas like Braga, Viana do Castelo, Aveiro, Viseu, Leiria, and other smaller cities. You will find good opportunities there .

5. Certified Agencies are trusted. Portuguese are normally trusted people, but there are exceptions!  Probably a better option is to choose a real state agency with street stores. Physical presence in central main streets would be better than by using just internet.

My opinion -  Before even thinking of somewhere for 3 months I'd advise you to spend some time in different places  - maybe Airbnb or similar as it gives you locals and their families and friends who'll all be helpful with information etc. -  then decide where you want to be as there's a vast variety of places, landscapes, beaches, castles, fiestas, mountains, lakes, Portugal has 10 million people   25%  in Lisbon and 20% in Porto so there's a large area with old cities, little villages and not many people, public transport outside cities can be an issue. Safe? I lost by door key as I'd not locked the door for 3 months then went away and still didn't lock it. A lot of things here are done person to person and not internet based so if looking for somewhere to rent it helps to go into local agents offices and talk to them as then they'll take you seriously and put time and effort into it and even call other local agents to ask for you,  internet based stuff particularly from non-Portugese often does not generate serious inquiries so are often not even replied to.   The weather can be sweltering hot in summer particularly for those not used to it, people bring their dogs on holiday with them so vets etc are used to this.  There are dog friendly hotels in most large towns. Have a look at this site as it's several hundred thousand small adverts of rental places/ places for sale all over the country. Could you persuade The Leningrad Cowboys to tour Portugal?

https://www.olx.pt/imoveis/