Californians are moving 5,500 miles away to beautiful Portugal. Does it seem strange to you? Well, if you haven't been to Portugal, then you might wonder what all the fuss is about. Our opinion at Portugal Homes may be biased, but believe us when we say that once you visit Portugal you will for sure love it as much as we do!
Some wondered why celebrities such as Michael Fassbender, Scarlett Johansson, and John Malkovich are flocking to beautiful Portugal, purchasing homes in the heart of Lisbon. Or, more famously, when Madonna made the move from London to Lisbon, back in 2017- yet stayed for over 3 years living blissfully in historic Quinta do Relogio, a €6 million 18th century Moorish revival mansion in Sintra, Portugal.
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Portugal offers the Californian appeal with its laid-back attitude, sandy beaches, hidden grottos, and coves, a country sought-after for its sunny disposition, friendly locals, safety and peace of mind. Best of all, a fellow Californian won't feel homesick, as so much of Portugal can resemble some of California´s most memorable landmarks, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Point Reyes National Seashore, La Jolla Cove, Santa Monica Beach, Torrey Pines State Reserve, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and Monterey County.
The southern region of the Algarve is especially adored by Californians, featuring breathtaking coastlines, towering rocky cliffs, and surrounding rich woodland encompassing golden sand beaches with crystalline ocean waters. Incredibly reminiscent of Big Sur California's central coast, and its mountainous oceanside scenery. The Algarve is a mecca for amazing beaches, this ultimate beach destination features over 133 beaches along the coast for an avid beach lover, and surfer to choose from, offering plenty of relaxing leisure time by the Atlantic sea. Get to know all 133 beaches in sunny Algarve, here!
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This region of Portugal not only offers a great beach destination but has wonderful fishing towns to visit that offer an amazing culinary scene, especially rich with seafood and fish, much like California, the Algarve also offers one of the best places in the country for fresh seafood! You can venture onto Portimão, and Lagos, along the coast which offers a feeling of being in Torrey Pines State Reserve, surrounding rock formations in the same ochre tones. Immerse yourself in the best places to stay & visit in the Algarve, here, and get a feel for life in the Algarve at our detailed guide, here. Portugal is equally architecturally intriguing, filled with an endless rich history in its cobblestone streets, museums, castles, palaces, churches, and to forget the Californian doppelgänger of the Golden Gate Bridge in “International Orange”, with the Ponte 25 de Abril connecting Lisbon city to Lisbon South Bay.
It is understandable for a fellow Californian, to be looking elsewhere to live; after all, the cost of living in California has dramatically increased over the years, in comparison to other American states. On average, a Californian spends over $680,000 USD on home versus in the rest of the United States, which averages about $290,000 USD.
As life in California has become more costly, with the rise of real estate prices, whether you are a celebrity or not, the prospects of moving and living in Portugal are optimum! Read in detail at our guide, providing you insight into relocating and living in Portugal as an expat, here.
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Purchasing homes in Portugal whether to invest, or relocate has been immensely popular for Americans, in fact, Travel + Leisure Magazine selected Portugal as a top 10 country for American expats to live in! This can simply be due to the cost of living comparison between the USA´s Californian main city hubs such as Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, and the cost of living in Portugal, which is considerably more affordable and offers a great quality of life, with a balance in mind between work life and personal.
If your curiosity peaked on getting more insight on the cost of living in Portugal, take a look at our extensive article, here.
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Portugal has also become an upcoming technology-driven city, host of the Web Summit since 2016, the largest annual technology conference held in Lisbon. Over 104,000 attendees from 100+ countries, welcoming all levels, and sectors of the global high technology industry. The capital city of Portugal, Lisbon acquires every year a high traffic of entrepreneurs, tech talent, and savvy investors looking to branch into startups, making Lisbon the main startup hub.
The Web Summit´s 2022 speaker lineup include: Nathan Blecharczyk, Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Airbnb; Naomi Gleit, Head of Product Meta Platforms of Facebook; Sumbul Desai, VP of Health for Apple; Nik Storonsky, Founder & CEO of Revolut; Russell Glass, CEO of Headspace, and many more! For full line up speakers details of the 2022 Web Summit in Lisbon, view the official site.
Portugal, definitely makes a great country for creative entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts, and digital nomads, as Portugal being one of the highest English-speaking countries in Europe, ranking at 7th place in the world, and having the archipelago of Madeira as Europe's first digital nomad village. Especially since remote working has become an essential must during the pandemic, and back to office policies remain flexible, and many are looking to relocate for better work opportunities, one main reason that makes Portugal a great place to move and live in.
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Portugal among Top Ten best countries for expats to make friends
Expats consider Portugal to be one of the best countries to live and work in
Portugal offers co-working spaces opportunities for fellow creatives all over the country, in Lisbon, there is Heden, Outsite, and Work Hub, which are popular among digital nomads with flexible spaces for a wide variety of group work, and collaborative workshops. There are creative neighbourhoods within Lisbon that are great for fellow designers to exchange ideas for possible co-design concepts; this is experienced in TODOS, a larger-scale creative hub in east Lisbon. Over 62 independent creatives under one roof, services to offices, gallery and event areas, large spaces for filming, and more! All creative space rentals are available at a daily rate and booked directly through TODOS.
In the parish of Alcantara in Lisbon, you can experience a more actively creative scenery at the LX Factory, an industrial brick factory turned into a hip neighbourhoods with loft developments, local artist shops and boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, pubs, and featuring one of the most quirky bookstore - the Livraria Ler Devagar.
The city of Porto, in the northern region of Portugal has become a hotspot for designers, and artists; being a cool and hip city with the juxtaposition of traditional and modern. Historically beautiful in its architecture, and exuding ever charming views by the river Douro; not a doubt that any creative mind will be thinking a million possibilities filled with pure inspiration. Porto is not only recognized for its port wine, but affinity for the arts and crafts movements, featuring a strong manufacturing, textile and fashion industry - Portuguese linens are known to be of premium craftsmanship, and quality. Various co-working spaces are also available in the city of Porto, such as WOW, Porto i/o, and Selina Navis.
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Lisbon and Porto considered best cities to live in
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It will be a breeze for a Californian moving to Portugal from the USA, or any expat looking to settle down in Portugal; the essential is to remain open-minded, and willing to immerse yourself in a new country, language, and culture. Year after year, Portugal has been given a multitude of awards for our hospitality, quality of life, healthcare system, safe cities with low crime rates, and overall accessible housing market.
Now, Portugal is one of the most affluent countries to emigrate and reside in, especially for investment purposes. Thus, investors have the right to live, work, and study in the country and hold visa-free travel within the Schengen area.
Portugal Homes can guide you to your first real estate investment in Portugal with our Golden Visa Programme! We offer exceptional property locations with huge recapitalization and profitability-get in touch with us for further details. We are sure you will be living that “California Dreaming” under the Portuguese sun.
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Get to know more about the Golden Visa Portugal Programme in our extensive step-by-step guide with Portugal Homes Managing Director and CEO, David Poston
Portugal Homes is headquartered in Portugal, pleased to assist you in your future real estate investment needs and guide you through to acquiring your Portugal Golden Visa.
Read more:
Portugal was elected the best country for Americans who want to relocate
Expats consider Portugal the 5th Best country in the world to live and work
