• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle

First-World Life At Third-World Prices: Discover The Algarve

The World’s Best Quality Of Life For Less Than US$1,000 Per Month

Melanie Veah by Melanie Veah
Oct 15, 2018
in Lifestyle, Portugal, Travel
0 0
0
golf niebla por la manana portugal
260
SHARES
3.7k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Picture a chain of historic and charming small towns strung together by a single-lane highway, people walking along or bicycling, passing roadside stands offering fresh fruit… 3 euros for a 5-pound bag of oranges…

The weather is warm… and you see flowering vines growing over the stucco walls of many properties.

Continue east, and the small towns give way to flowering hedges, tall trees, and grasslands.

Thanks to their long reign, the other thing you notice throughout this Algarve region is a strong Moorish influence. The Moors introduced the fig, carob, almond, and orange trees that you find throughout southern Portugal… and many churches, including in Loulé, Faro, and Tavira, were originally mosques.

The Romans were in this part of Portugal, too. They are credited with the production of salt here and with planting the olive trees the area is known for. The bridge of Tavira dates to the Romans, and the introduction of Latin was the base for the Portuguese language.

Portugal was arguably the first Catholic country in Europe. However, many churches in the Algarve, with their intricate gilded wood designs in the Baroque style, came later, during the colonization of Brazil in the 18th century.

A major power in Europe at the time, Henry the Navigator sailed from the Algarve to discover the Portuguese islands east and south and to conquer the African coast and Morocco. Later, Vasco da Gama, among others, discovered the routes to India and Brazil, resulting in the largest trading empire in the world.

Towns like Tavira became important trading ports. Later, during almost 30 years of war with Spain, fortresses were built along the borders and the coastline to protect the cities, and many of these remain today.

In 1755, after an earthquake and the tsunami that followed, many Algarve cities were destroyed. Faro survived, and became capital of the Algarve.

In 1974, 50 years of dictatorship ended, and Portugal became democratic. The Algarve soon became known for its tile work, lace, cork, and agriculture.

More recently, the emphasis has been on tourism.

The primary tourist draws are the golf (the Algarve has more golf courses per capita than anywhere else in the world)… and the beaches.

In the western Algarve, the coast is known for its wild waves (making for world-class surfing) and jaw-dropping cliffside views.

In the eastern Algarve, the coast is no less beautiful… but gentler.

With the increase in tourism the country is enjoying, the Algarve’s more popular areas are getting too crowded and expensive for some… and the eastern Algarve is starting to come into its own. European expats have been the first to notice the opportunity this less recognized stretch of the Algarve coast presents and have begun buying properties in Olhão and Tavira.

And, while some Brits may be moving back to their home country in anticipation of Brexit, it seems many more are trying to hurry and establish themselves in the Algarve so they can stay legally and indefinitely once the U.K. leaves the EU.

An increasing American influx is being felt, as well. While Lisbon has been home to an established group of American expats for some time, more Americans are finding their way to the Algarve. They are drawn by the affordable coastal lifestyle on offer… and the safety. This is a great place to raise children, and more and more American families are making the move here.

The eastern Algarve is a natural wonderland. Living here you’d fill your days doing things like bird-watching, hiking, kayaking, swimming, boating, golfing, sailing, diving, horseback riding…

The eastern Algarve is all about the great outdoors.

Music is ever-present. Outdoor festivals and concerts are staged every weekend during summer.

As Portugal’s popularity has expanded considerably in the last two years, prices have increased, but not noticeably, especially if you live a local rather than an imported lifestyle.

A couple could live in Portugal’s eastern Algarve on a penny-pincher’s budget of as little as 900 euros per month, including rent (of, say, 350 euros).

A more reasonable and typical budget would be 1,500 to 1,600 euros per month… still a tremendous bargain for Western Europe.

If you’re ready to slow down and savor moments in the sun… discover a healthier lifestyle and food… find a safe place with an emphasis on family and friends… live a first-world life at third-world prices… without a language barrier to start… I’d say you should get yourself to Portugal’s eastern Algarve to have a look for yourself.

For my money, it’s the best lifestyle on offer anywhere in the world.

Melanie Veah

Tags: Algarveliving in the AlgarvePortugal
Share104Tweet65
Melanie Veah

Melanie Veah

Melanie is originally from the Midwestern United States. After deciding to live in Europe, she has spent time living in Spain and now Portugal. She is a freelance writer, thrilled to be living a dream and sharing her adventures with others.

Related Posts

iStock/espiegle
Lifestyle

Live On An Island Like Royalty For A Bargain

by Bart Walters
March 21, 2023
0

About 20 years ago, I made a trip to Vancouver, Canada, in February. It was cold, rainy, dark, and miserable....

Read more
A beautiful beach in Faro, Portugal

Faro, Portugal, Is Not What I Expected

March 20, 2023
Douro river in Porto, Portugal

Life In Porto: The City That Beats To The Rhythm Of Its Own Drum

March 16, 2023
View of the seaside town of Dunmore East, County Waterford, Ireland.

How We Made Friends While Living Abroad

March 12, 2023
Historic Church of Bom Jesus do Monte and her public garden in Braga, Portugal

Why Braga, Portugal, Captured Our Hearts

February 23, 2023
Panorama from the sky, tourist resort in Vilamoura, Portugal

Vilamoura, Portugal

February 22, 2023
Colorful boats on Gilao river in picturesque Tavira, Portugal

Living In Tavira, Portugal, As An Expat Is A Dream Come True

February 9, 2023

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas ...

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.

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.

LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


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

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2023

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

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

Download your FREE report on

The Best Places To Retire In 2023

New Year, New You, New Life Overseas

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.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

Get Your Free ​Portugal Report Today!
 

​​Learn more about ​​PORTUGAL ​​​and other countries in our free, daily Overseas Opportunity Letter​​​​​​​​​. Simply enter your email address below and we’ll send you our FREE REPORT — Portugal — The World’s Number #1 Retirement Haven