Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT: PORTUGAL WORLD'S #1 RETIREMENT HAVEN
We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
  • Home
  • Countries

    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
    • Cyprus
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

    • The Best Places To Retire
    • Health Care Abroad
    • Cost Of Living
    • Investing in Real Estate
    • Establishing Residency
    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
  • Resources

    Global Living

    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore & Diversification

    Making Money

    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing

    Follow Us:

    • Meet Our Experts
  • Real Estate

    Join our Weekly Newsletter
    Overseas Property Alert

    Sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive expert insights on the best international real estate investment opportunities.






      We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

      Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

      • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

      Explore Our Latest Posts

      • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

      Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

      • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
    • Conferences

      Upcoming Events

      • Explore Our Events Site

      Live and Invest In Spain Conference

      Offshore Wealth Summit

      Greece Workshop

      VALENCIA, SPAIN

      Sep. 17-19, 2025

      PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

      Oct. 15-17, 2025

      VIRTUAL

      Nov. 13, 2025

      LEARN MORE
      DISCOUNT
      LEARN MORE
      PRE-REGISTER
      LEARN MORE
      PRE-REGISTER
      • MORE EVENTS

      Contact Our Events Team

      Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
      1 (888) 627 8834
      From Outside North America:
      1 (443) 599 1221
      Working Hours
      Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

      Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

    • Store

      Unlock The World

      • Access Your Library

      Overseas Havens Reports

      • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

      Conference Kits

      • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

      Lahardan Books

      • Titles on living and investing around the world
      • Explore Our Store
      Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

      Services

      overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
      The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
      Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

      Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

    • My Library
    Live and Invest Overseas
    • Home
    • Countries

      Top Destinations:

      Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

      • Spain
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • Colombia
      • Cyprus
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Montenegro
      • Browse All Countries

      Best For:

      • The Best Places To Retire
      • Health Care Abroad
      • Cost Of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Establishing Residency
      • Gun Laws In The World
      • English-Speaking Countries
      • Safest Places For Retirement
      • Best Places In Latin America
    • Budgets

      How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

      The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

      Super Cheap

      • Chitré, Panama
      • Santa Marta, Colombia
      • Phuket, Thailand
      • Dumaguete, The Philippines

      Cheap

      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Kyrenia, Cyprus
      • Hua Hin, Thailand
      • The Algarve, Portugal

      Affordable

      • Valencia, Spain
      • Cascais, Portugal
      • Las Terrenas, The DR
      • Pisa, Italy
      • La Rochelle, France
      • Mazatlán, Mexico

      Luxury

      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Kotor, Montenegro
      • The Panama City Beaches
      • Paris, France
    • Resources

      Global Living

      • Living & Retiring Overseas
      • Raising A Family Abroad
      • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
      • Offshore & Diversification

      Making Money

      • International Real Estate
      • Banking
      • Employment
      • Investing

      Follow Us:

      • Meet Our Experts
    • Real Estate

      Join our Weekly Newsletter
      Overseas Property Alert

      Sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive expert insights on the best international real estate investment opportunities.






        We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

        Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

        • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

        Explore Our Latest Posts

        • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

        Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

        • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
      • Conferences

        Upcoming Events

        • Explore Our Events Site

        Live and Invest In Spain Conference

        Offshore Wealth Summit

        Greece Workshop

        VALENCIA, SPAIN

        Sep. 17-19, 2025

        PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

        Oct. 15-17, 2025

        VIRTUAL

        Nov. 13, 2025

        LEARN MORE
        DISCOUNT
        LEARN MORE
        PRE-REGISTER
        LEARN MORE
        PRE-REGISTER
        • MORE EVENTS

        Contact Our Events Team

        Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
        1 (888) 627 8834
        From Outside North America:
        1 (443) 599 1221
        Working Hours
        Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

        Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

      • Store

        Unlock The World

        • Access Your Library

        Overseas Havens Reports

        • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

        Conference Kits

        • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

        Lahardan Books

        • Titles on living and investing around the world
        • Explore Our Store
        Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

        Services

        overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
        The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
        Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

        Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

      • My Library
      Live and Invest Overseas
       Free Portugal Guide
      LIVE AND INVEST IN PORTUGAL
      View of a bridge in Portugal
      WORLD’S #1 RETIREMENT HAVEN
      Simply sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter plus our In Focus: Europe newsletter and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report… absolutely FREE






        We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

        Home Countries Portugal

        What I Love About Sunny Portugal

        In Photos: Southern Europe Beckons…

        by Kat Kalashian
        Apr 20, 2023
        in Portugal
        0 0
        Wooden footbridge to beautiful beach Praia do Camilo near Lagos

        Adobe Stock/samael334

        After a warm, sun-filled week in Algarve, Portugal, hosting our Live And Invest In Portugal Conference and stuffing myself with seafood at every meal, I’m back in Paris… looking at a gray sky and unseasonably cold temperatures…

        I love this city, my adopted home, but they coined the phrase “il fait gris,” literally, “it’s gray out,” for a reason. Not windy, not rainy, obviously not sunny… just gray. It’s a state of weather, just like you might hear “scattered clouds” or “intermittent showers” in other parts of the world.

        Since my husband learned the phrase, it’s become his new favorite expression in his growing arsenal of Parisian French. Lucky for him, he gets to use it often. (And one who does could only be a local—he integrates more here every day!)

        All of that to say, my mind has lingered in Portugal for the last few days…

        sunny portugalEiffel tower in Paris

        I happened to bike under the Grande Dame the day after returning to Paris and it’s hard not to make the comparison to Algarve’s skies from the day before… though hardly a fair fight!

        I’ve traveled to the beach town of Carvoeiro, on the country’s southern tip, for the past several years, always sometime in April, but this year’s weather was the best I’ve ever seen for this time of year.

        The rays are always strong down here—deceptively so, I got more of a tan than I counted on for the few sunbathing bouts I fit in. But usually the temperatures are still in the low 70s, and the strong sea breezes shake off any warming attempts of the sun. Last week, though, was blissfully mid-to-high 70s, and, unless you were on the rooftop terrace, there was nary a breeze to bother.

        I always proclaim to love all four seasons (it’s the variation that I truly relish), but with winter seeming overly-long up here in Northern Europe, choosing a home with a little more annual sunshine doesn’t seem like such a bad idea…

        We always say that this moving-overseas thing isn’t a one-way trip—you can always move back home… or move on.

        Not that I’m thinking of upping stakes from Paris, we’re in it for the long haul here. But the path to your perfect life overseas doesn’t always have to be linear either. I’m now musing on options for arranging ourselves to spend a few weeks a year in a more southern locale…

        Last year, we fell in love with Barcelona for the second time in our lives and we fantasized about a life that would allow us to spend more time there regularly. Portugal has a similar pull for us, between the laidback culture, the tempting seafood, and the UV exposure… it offers a few of the things lacking in our life up here in Paris.

        I was on my own for this trip to Iberia, but the past three years I’ve been visiting with my daughter in tow, and one of the things we delight in the most in southern Europe is the universal affection for children… which can be lacking up here in the north.

        The French are still very much of the mindset that children should be seen, not heard—and honestly, it’s one of the things I appreciate in the French attitude towards parenting. It’s why French children are so polite, well-behaved, and often mature beyond their years, and why I’m so often praised for my toddler’s social intelligence and comportment.

        But it’s nice to be able to relax a little occasionally, and time spent in Italy, Spain, and Portugal give us a much-needed annual dose of kid coddling.

        Some especially child-loving restauranteurs and store staff go so far as to take her off our hands while we dine or shop, much to everyone’s delight.

        And on the subject of dining, I discovered few new dishes and tipples on this trip that should be top of everyone’s list…

        The cataplana could be called Portugal’s answer to paella. Likewise named after the dish it’s cooked in and also only served family-style to parties of at least two, but with potatoes instead of rice and maybe a few more veggies than you expect in the Spanish fry up, this is a must-have on any day at the seaside.

        Shellfish cataplana with spiny lobsterShellfish cataplana with spiny lobster

        Shellfish cataplana with spiny lobster, served from a cart rolled from kitchen to table, at Restaurant Marisqueira Portugal, Carvoeiro

        The francesinha I wrote about after my first visit to Portugal… it’s something everyone should order at least once as a novelty… like a Monte Cristo.

        Described alternately as “a coronary on a plate” and one of the 10 best sandwiches in the world, it’s a sandwich on a scale I doubt many have seen before. Made with every kind of meat that’s available (a ham, a sausage, and a beef at least), with layers of bread and cheese in between each, a layer of cheese melted on top, smothered in a sauce of tomato, beer, and chili, and topped with a fried egg.

        Much like the French, the Portuguese apparently also like to add eggs to many dishes we might think odd in the Americas… a burger, a pizza, a sandwich, a salad… It may seem strange, but give it a try—a rich, runny egg improves any dish in my opinion!

        And, as always, you can’t go wrong with piri piri chicken, or the giant prawns, lobster, and mussels here, which I order at least one of without fail at every meal.

        Couvert, the little snacksserved with drinks or before a meal in Portugal
        Don’t forget the couvert, the little snacks
        served with drinks or before a meal
        Freshly sautéedgarlic prawns
        I could eat nothing but these freshly sautéed
        garlic prawns, always served with lemon and
        a spicy pepper, for every meal…
        Freshly sautéedgarlic prawns
        When you go upscale dining, the prawns are
        a little more elevated, but no less delicious…
        (but, personally, I’d take the messy pan full
        of butter over the haute cuisine any day)

        Beirão, the local digestif, is a very drinkable, almost neutral-tasting herbal concoction of mint, cinnamon, cardamom, and lavender. These elements, coming from all over the world, tell Portugal’s history in a shot glass, incorporating ingredients from several of the country’s former colonies—Brazil, Sri Lanka, and India. It’s a microcosm of the multiethnic history of Portugal that’s seen in every aspect of its culture.

        I was gifted an almond cake on my birthday, an Algarve specialty that I hadn’t previously sampled. This simple but delicious sponge cake showcases lots of local flavors.

        Over a plate of cataplana de marisco, I enjoyed hearing stories of local lore from expats to Braga (tucked up in Portugal’s northernmost corner), Jeff and Joch Woodruff…

        They shared with me the story of the colorful Barcelos rooster, whose symbol is famously associated with Portugal, but whose legend I had never thought to ask about…

        Barcelos roosterIn the 17th century, a pilgrim on his way to Santiago de Compostela was accused of stealing silver in the Braga district, Jeff and Joch’s adopted home. He was condemned to hang, but before the day came, he swore before the judge who made the ruling that the certainty of his innocence would be proved by a chicken being killed and continuing to walk after losing its head.

        For some reason they humored him, and a chicken was duly slaughtered, continuing to dance after the final blow was dealt, and “proving” the man’s innocence.

        Some versions are even more fanciful, with the man swearing before the judge’s cooked rooster dinner that when he was hanged, the cooked bird would get up and walk… and so it did, the noose simultaneously snapping as it did so, saving the innocent man’s life.

        Another charming story I heard this trip was from one of my taxi drivers and due to my married name: Kalashian, instantly recognized by many the world over as obviously Armenian. He went on to tell me that the Portuguese love Armenians, as one of their greatest adopted men hailed from the country.

        Calouste Gulbenkian, whose museum in Lisbon I’ve often recommended to Portugal visitors, was one of those “great men” of the 19th and 20th centuries. Businessman, visionary, oil magnate, art collector, intellect, philanthropist…

        Stateside, he’d have been a Rockefeller, Carnegie, or a Vanderbilt. By the time of his death in 1955, his was one of the greatest private art collections in the world, and he was one of its wealthiest people.

        One of his missions was a foundation in Portugal to increase literacy and make books available to every person in the country. He established brick-and-mortar libraries, but also traveling libraries, and that was how my taxi driver, once a boy in a little rural village, was able to read, as he put it, “every book I could find.” To this day the foundation promotes arts, charity, education, and science worldwide.

        It’s little tidbits like these that you pick up over time spent getting to know a new place that endear it to you…

        And between the climate, the diet, and the culture in general… something is beckoning me to southern Europe like never before…

        Stay tuned…

        Bonne route,
        Kat Kalashian signature
        Kat Kalashian
        Editor, In Focus: Europe

        Tags: life in Portugallive in PortugalRetire In Portugalsunny portugal
        Share84Tweet52
        Kat Kalashian

        Kat Kalashian

        Kat Kalashian has grown up around the world, living in the United States, Ireland, France, and Panama, and has traveled extensively in her few years. Growing up as a young expat she is familiar with the trials and tribulations of an overseas move and the adjustments that must be made in every new destination. After living in Panama for seven years, she and her husband relocated back to Paris, France, in 2018 where they now live full-time with their American-born cat, Panamanian-born dog, and two French-born daughters. She's now been living in Paris for over 10 cumulative years, and enjoys being able to explore France and the rest of Europe at every opportunity. As head of Live And Invest Overseas’ European Division, she is Editorial Director of Europe Uncovered, a monthly subscription service, MCs the Europe based Live And Invest Conferences, and scouts out new locations for coverage on the Continent.

        Get Your Free Portugal Report Today!
        Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our FREE REPORT — Portugal: The World’s #1 Retirement Haven.

        We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
        Our Expertise Unlocks The World

        quick links

        • Best Places To Live
        • Best Places To Retire
        • Finding A Job Overseas
        • Real Estate

        LIOS Resources

        • New To LIOS
        • Ask An Expert
        • Media Center
        • Contact Us
        • FAQs
        the 10 best places to retire in 2025
        Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE REPORT: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2025






          We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

          As seen in

          US Media Logos

          © 2008 – Live and Invest Overseas™ – All Rights Reserved.

          About Us / Contact Us / Privacy Policy / Terms / Unsubscribe
          Facebook-f X-twitter Youtube Linkedin-in Instagram

          Welcome Back!

          Login to your account below

          Forgotten Password?

          Retrieve your password

          Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

          Log In
          HOME

          Top Countries

          • Spain
          • Portugal
          • Panama
          • Belize
          • Colombia
          • Cyprus
          • Mexico
          • France
          • Montenegro

          Best For:

          • Health Care Abroad
          • Retirement Living
          • Cost Of Living
          • Investing in Real Estate
          • Establishing Residency
          • Gun Ownership
          • English Speakers
          • Safety
          BROWSE ALL COUNTRIES

          Budgets

          How Much Will It Cost
          To Live Overseas?

          Super Cheap

          • Chitré, Panama
          • Santa Marta, Colombia
          • Phuket, Thailand
          • Dumaguete, The Philippines

          Cheap

          • Medellin, Colombia
          • Boquete, Panama
          • Kyrenia, Cyprus
          • Hua Hin, Thailand
          • The Algarve, Portugal

          Affordable

          • Valencia, Spain
          • Cascais, Portugal
          • Las Terrenas, The DR
          • Pisa, Italy
          • La Rochelle, France
          • Mazatlán, Mexico

          Luxury

          • Ambergris Caye, Belize
          • Kotor, Montenegro
          • The Panama City Beaches
          • Paris, France

          Resources

          Global Living

          • Living & Retiring Overseas
          • Raising A Family Abroad
          • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
          • Offshore & Diversification

          Making Money

          • International Real Estate
          • Banking
          • Employment
          • Investing
          Meet Our Experts

          Real Estate

          Overseas Property Alert 

           

          How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams

          VISIT SITE

          Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

           

          Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

          READ MORE

          Explore Our Latest Posts

           

          Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

          EXPLORE

          Conferences

          Live and Invest In Spain Conference

          VALENCIA, SPAIN Sep. 17-19, 2025
          LEARN MORE
          DISCOUNT

          Offshore Wealth Summit

          PANAMA CITY, PANAMA Oct. 15-17, 2025
          LEARN MORE
          PRE-REGISTER

          GREECE WORKSHOP

          VIRTUAL Nov. 13, 2025
          LEARN MORE
          PRE-REGISTER
          MORE EVENTS

          Contact Our Events Team:

          Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
          1 (888) 627 8834

          From Outside North America:
          1 (443) 599 1221

          Working Hours
          Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

          Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

          Store

          Overseas Havens Reports

          • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

          Conference Kits

          • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

          Lahardan Books

          • Titles on living and investing around the world

          Services

          • Overseas Living Letter: Affordable Retirement Guidance
          • The Simon Letter: Wealth Protection Insights
          • Global Property Advisor: Global Investment Opportunitites
          VISIT OUR STORE

          Free Report

          THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025

          FREE REPORT: The 10 Best Places To retire in 2025

          Sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report…






            We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

            LIBRARY

            Follow Us:

            © 2008 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

            RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

            Sign up for FREE to learn how. Plus, check out our FREE report on THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE


            We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

            RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

            Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

            We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.