We’ve just released our annual Overseas Retirement Index, and, as always, this massive undertaking is met with great excitement…
In it, we reveal the top 12 places to retire in 2026, with a few bonus destinations to keep your eye on.
Out of these 10, a whopping 5 are based in Europe, showing just how enviable—and attainable—a new life in the Old World can be for retirees (and folks of any age!).
Last week, I shared the 5th and 4th place winners, read about those here…
Today, I’ll continue with the 3rd and 2nd runners up…
3. Crete—A Mediterranean Jewel At The Crossroads Of Three Civilizations
· #3 Best Place to Retire in Europe
· #4 Best Place to Retire in the World
Its history dates back 4,000 years, its beaches are superb, the Mediterranean water is crystal clear, the healthy Mediterranean Diet originates here, and the sun shines for over 300 days a year (more than any other location in Greece)…
This is the island of Crete, the largest of the Greek islands, a little bigger than the state of Delaware.
Crete is famed as one of the most beautiful locations in Greece, if not the entire world. The island offers a lot for both tourists and residents, including sun, sandy beaches, and hospitable people.
As you’d expect of an island lifestyle, the pace of life is slow and laidback here, even in comparison to mainland Greece. That doesn’t mean you’ve got to give up modern comforts, though. Crete boasts all the amenities and conveniences of Western countries, including fast internet, reliable bus networks, international airports (two of them), a cruise port, and plenty of modern shopping.
On the other hand, Crete is blissfully free of mega highways and giant shopping malls, striking a nice balance between the old world and the new.
Crete is known for having some of the best infrastructure of all the Greek islands, with cities here having been developed specifically to accommodate tourists Throughout the island, you’ll enjoy nicely paved roads and comfortable walking paths, even outside of cities.
While many islands here and elsewhere in the world suffer from power shortages, solar power is commonly used here, the sun being a reliable asset that the region can depend upon. Most residences and businesses employ solar panels, which minimize the dependence on traditional energy grids.
The island is made up of four regions: Chania (pronounced and sometimes written “Hania”), Rethymo, Heraklion (sometimes called Iraklio), and Lasithi.
In Chania, our top pick for setting up an expat life in Crete, the Old Town is a mass of winding streets with properties dating back hundreds of years, on foundations that go back to the Minoans. The Old Town is deep in tourist territory, which means a wealth of bars, restaurants, English-speaking staff, and all the history at your fingertips… but it also means it’s louder and packed with tourists at certain times of year.
Old Town also boasts direct access to the town’s only sandy beach and therefore offers some of the town’s best seafood, with local fishermen bringing their daily catches right up to the roadside in front of the eateries for chefs to choose from. From the center of the Old Town, it’s only a 10-minute walk along a pretty, coastal path, and past the town’s only municipal, open-air swimming pool, to get to the “New Town,” and a 5-minute walk to the city center.
In the “New Town,” properties are modern, especially by Cretan standards, with the majority built from the 1980s to mid-nineties. Properties here are more spacious, often with outdoor areas. Plus, the streets are wider here and parking is easier. It’s quieter here than in the Old Town, though, thanks to far fewer tourist visits.
In addition to all the natural benefits of the island (sun, sea, sand, and history), people are attracted to its super low-cost yet high-quality lifestyle and its affordable European residency program which offers non-European citizens the chance to buy property and in return qualify for a permanent residency visa, granting visa-free access to the whole Schengen Area.
A budget for a retired couple here would come to less than $2,000 per month and would provide a very comfortable standard of living.
Eating and drinking out, so much a part of life in Crete, is very affordable. Even in the touristy areas, you can easily enjoy a full meal with wine for less than 30 euros.
While Greek may not be the easiest language to pick up in retirement, folks working in the big cities and tourist sites here will speak enough English for you to get by. And you’ll be able to find a few English speakers if needed even in the lesser traveled areas around the island. When all else fails, locals are patient and happy to help you be understood in a smattering of “Greeklish.” People here are easygoing and eager to help you get what you need.
2. Braga—Portugal’s Low-Key, Elegant, Culturally Rich Northern Haven
· #2 Best Place to Retire in Europe
· #2 Best Place to Retire in the World
There’s much to love about Braga, Portugal’s third-largest city and capital of the northern Minho province, where the country’s famous vinho verde wine is grown and produced across its lush valleys.
Braga is well-known for its religious heritage, cultural offerings, and numerous festivals, but it’s not a typical expat choice, and has stayed off the mainstream tourism radar, as well. This means that prices have been kept low, as they’ve steadily risen throughout the rest of the country.
Thanks to the low foreigner count here, there’s a more authentically Portuguese feeling to Braga that can be lacking in more expat-heavy regions.
Braga dates to a thriving ancient Roman metropolis, as evidenced by the many archeological artifacts found throughout the area. The medieval center of the city is a large pedestrian district filled with wonderful shops, restaurants, museums, theaters, and galleries.
Braga has weeklong festivals nearly every month of the year, a vibrant university, and large public gardens. On Sundays, you’ll hear concertinas playing in the central plaza.
The city’s main appeal is its historic center, with narrow lanes and lively plazas hemmed in by historic buildings and elegant baroque churches. This dense, buzzy neighborhood is full of cafés, restaurants, boutiques, churches, supermarkets, businesses, hotels, homes, and more…
This is the perfect spot to stroll or to relax at a café and people-watch, enjoying the fresh air and a glass of local wine on a sunny day.
Often called “the Rome of Portugal,” thanks to its plentiful churches and religious sites, several of which claim world renown, like the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary and Sé de Braga Cathedral. Also much like Rome, you’re never far from church bells here, which might take some getting used to if you’re not already accustomed to street noise.
Unlike, Rome, however, the Portuguese are more of a lively party people than a mass-attending penance-loving kind of crowd… here, the religious events that cram the calendar are about celebration, color, joy, and inclusion.
Although home to just 200,000 people or so, this is a university town, so it has more of a young, vibrant, active feeling than you might expect from such a small city. And being less than an hour from Porto, Portugal’s second city, as well as the Atlantic coast, you’re well positioned to enjoy more of what the country has to offer once you settle in.
This compact city allows you to get by without a car, translating into an active, healthy lifestyle as you take advantage of all it has to offer, from its elegant Old Town to its vibrant, modern side.
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Stay tuned next week to discover the best place in Europe to retire in 2024…
Bonne route,
Kat Kalashian
Editor, In Focus: Europe
