Perhaps you’ve enjoyed a holiday at the glorious beaches of Portugal’s Algarve, but have you ever considered what it might be like to live in a capital city which is within easy driving distance of dozens of stunning Algarve beaches? Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, is situated at the mouth of the river Tagus, and has an international airport which links it to 120 European destinations. A holiday home in Lisbon means that in under three hours from the U.K. you can be enjoying the pleasures of one of the great capitals of Europe or heading off to the some of the world’s best beaches and when you’re not there, you’ll have no trouble renting your home out. Still not convinced, then here’s some further incentives.
Ranked as the world’s third best city for expats
According to a survey by ‘Internations’, which canvased the opinions of 15,000 expats of 173 nationalities and asked them to rank 66 cities around the world on 25 criteria, Lisbon is the third best city in the world in which to live. Lisbon ranked particularly highly on ‘quality of life’; respondents valued the ease of settling in, the rich and varied social life and a sense of safety; Portugal is rated as the third safest country in the world. Although Lisbon has experienced a property boom in recent years, it still offers some of the cheapest inner-city property in Europe, and the overall cost of living in Portugal is one of the lowest in Europe, around 33% cheaper than the U.K.
Lisbon is a vibrant, innovative city
Lisbon has become a magnet for tech nomads and artistic talent from around the globe and is ranked the 3rd most innovative city in the world. The city’s tech hubs continue to attract talent and in turn the mighty beasts of the tech world, Amazon and Google, have set up bases in the city to draw on this inexpensive pool of talent, all of which serves to fuel a thriving arts and culture scene. Lisbon has an astonishing 34 universities and 49 art galleries.
Lisbon has the most glorious climate
Famed for having in excess of 300 days of sunshine a year, Lisbon also has the mildest winter nights of any European city.
Lisbon is the favourite destination for Europeans
Bookings for 2021 show that Lisbon is the top destination choice for Europeans and the city is even attracting celebrities from across the water, such as Madonna and John Malkovich, to the extent that locals have taken to referring to the area as ‘California’.
Lisbon has world class attractions
Once the centre of a mighty empire, the seven hilled city of Lisbon has a great architectural heritage, and its winding cobbled streets are a delight to wander. Huge foreign investment has seen the city transformed from its shabby former self into one of the chicest capitals in Europe, boasting world class shopping and dining and a range of entertainment to cater for all tastes.
This is a collaborative post.